The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has
just released a substantial update to its Field
Operations Manual (FOM), CPL 02-00-159 (October 1, 2015). The
FOM is a reference document for OSHA field personnel that provides
enforcement policies and procedures in conducting OSHA
investigations.
In his
related blog, OSHA Administrator David
Michaels, explains that in FY 2014 OSHA conducted 36,163 safety
and health inspections, with another 47,217 inspections conducted
by states that administer their own health and safety plans.
"Each one of those inspections was important.... But the
reality is that some required far more time and resources than
others. For example, the inspection of an oil refinery or a
chemical manufacturing facility is more complex and time-consuming
than one of a trenching site. Those complex inspections make a big
difference – showing employers, and the whole country, that
we are determined to investigate serious hazards regardless