OSHA Enforcement of Arc Flash / Electrical Safety Standards

Hey ya'll, new to the forum. There is a lot of great info here!! I am starting the process of becoming compliant with arc flash. I am wondering if any one has knowledge of how OSHA would react if I was paid a visit by them before all of our electrical safety policy is in place? Would we be fined as if we had nothing in place? Or would we be considered to show "Good Faith" that we are trying to become compliant?

IMHO, I believe that you would recieve some credit for having started the program.

I think that if OSHA were to fine companies for not having a full electrical safety plan in place, there would be a tremendous amount of fines that we would be hearing of on a daily basis. The company that I work for has a plan, but full compliance with the arc flash/blast requirements is not required until the 4th quarter of this year.

Good question. You're not alone.

Has anyone heard of OSHA taking action with respect to arc flash compliance at facilities where no-one has been injured?

OSHA Emphasis

All the time......

If they determine there is an exposure to the hazard, the company receives a fine. It is a National Emphasis Program right now.

Jim and John,

Thank you for your comments.

I'd like to know more about the circumstances under which OSHA has taken action on this issue. Are the details public record? If this information is common knowledge then forgive my ignorance. My job responsibilities are mostly limited to the technical side but knowing more about compliance will help me provide better advice to management.

Regards,

Bill

Exposure question

It goes something like this....

The field agent during the inspection process may ask a question, so do you guys ever plug in bus plugs? Response: Sure, all the time, we move equipment around and need to perform this process constantly.

Do you every shut down the bus?

Well no, we are very busy.

They then request a copy of the electrical safety program and then the fines start adding up.

More info

Remember, all OSHA has to do is prove there was an exposure to a recognizable hazard.

Do you have a reference for the 4th quarter requirement for full compliance?

A reference as in something from OSHA? No. Keep in mind that I did not write the plan, our safety department did that. Considering that our facility is an OSHA STAR site, I hope that they have all of their ducks in a row.

This may be a dumb question, but what triggers an OSHA inspection other than injury?

Have had three or four in the 30 years htat I can remember. Two had to do with when we were part of that partnership program (not sure if that was what it was called) the other was a random 2 or 3 years ago. Bunch of minor but no serious violations.

I recently found publication "OSHA 3075" on line. It states that OSHA will provide consultation assistance at no cost to small employers. No penalties or citations are issued for hazards identified but the employer has an obligation to correct all serious hazards within an agreed upon time frame. Failure to do so requires the consultation manager to report the situation to the enforcement office. (words from the document in short form)

This publication refers to electrical hazards.