Play It Safe

You may not think your business is a high-risk workplace, but OSHA may have other ideas. Last April, OSHA targeted 2,200 "high-hazard workplaces" for inspections. Nursing homes, automotive parts and supply companies, liquor distributors, and local trucking and storage operators were on the hit list and can expect more surprise visits from OSHA inspectors--and stiff fines if they don't pass muster.

The good news: A little-known program run by none other than OSHA itself can help you avoid penalties and keep your workers safe. OSHA's free safety and health-management consultation aims to identify safety hazards before they become accidents.

And don't worry: The consultants aren't stool pigeons. Findings are strictly confidential. If you agree to correct any hazards, OSHA's enforcement arm won't be tipped off.

To find an agency offering the program in your state, contact OSHA at (202) 693-2213 or http://www.osha.gov.

Ellen Paris is a Washington, DC, writer and former Forbes magazine staff writer.

This article was originally published in the October 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Play It Safe.