OSHA could levy tough consequences on employers who ignore worker safety if Congress passes legislation currently under review. In legislation introduced late last year by Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, employers who disregard hazards that result in worker fatalities could face felony prosecution and stiff prison sentences. The maximum penalties currently levied by OSHA are 6 months in prison for a willful violation resulting in death and/or $70,000 for a willful violation and $7,000 for a serious violation. Hearings about the proposed legislation are being conducted by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The bill is expected to move through Congress this year.
“Employers who ignore their employees’ safety should pay a penalty that will force them to change their negligent ways,” Sen. Kennedy said. A report issued by Kennedy’s staff titled Discounting Death: OSHA’s Failure to Punish Safety Violations that Kill Workers states that a median penalty of $3,675 was assessed for workplace fatalities last year. “Workers’ lives are obviously worth far more than that,” chided the Senator.
Each year 6,500 American workers die from workplace injuries. According to OSHA estimates, forklifts are responsible for 85 fatalities a year, 34,900 serious injuries and 61,800 non-serious injuries. An estimated 11% of all forklifts in operation in the U.S. are involved in an accident each year. Over their useful life, 90% of all forklifts will be a factor in a workplace accident. Over the past 20 years, forklifts have been the major cause of industrial fatalities and accidents in the U.S.
With stricter enforcement on the horizon, it could be prudent to consider replacing the bulk of your forklift fleet with safer, more maneuverable, ergonomic electric carts and motorized cart pushers. Reasonably-priced cart movers come in a variety of sizes designed to perform many of the same tasks done by forklifts but with increased efficiency and superior safety for workers. Power tuggers offer maximum versatility in moving loads of up to 3,0o0 pounds while cart movers can muscle heavy 50,000-pound loads. Don’t place your workers or your business at risk, click here to learn more about ergonomic electric and battery-powered carts and tugs.