Episode 15: Safety First—Understanding OSHA

with Jonelle Oldacre

Safety is a huge factor in the construction industry, and OSHA is around to make sure of it. For those unaware, OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In episode 15 of the Quit Getting Screwed podcast, Karalynn is joined by senior associate construction attorney Jonelle Oldacre, an OSHA aficionado. In Jonelle’s words, “OSHA is a federal agency that falls within the department of labor. It’s intended to ensure safe and healthy working conditions in American workplaces.” The long and short of it is that OSHA is in place to protect American workers. 

Karalynn mentions that, in the construction industry, she usually hears about OSHA in terms of folks getting an OSHA citation. She asks Jonelle how professionals can address this hiccup and avoid it in the future, and Jonelle has plenty to say on the matter. She begins by emphasizing that OSHA enforces its safety and health standards through the inspection of workplaces. As a rule, OSHA inspections are conducted during regular working hours, and they are completely unannounced. Due to the unannounced nature, issues can often arise. It’s important to note that employers do have the right to request that those inspecting the premises get a warrant to do so.

From here, Jonelle goes on to discuss how to contest an OSHA citation, what happens when you do so, what happens to your record if you are a repeat offender, and much more. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the information you should know as a contractor. Jonelle’s many years of experience have allowed her to gain considerable experience and understanding of what OSHA does and how to deal with it, and she very thoroughly breaks it down here. This episode is an incredibly valuable listen for any construction business owner!

If you enjoy all the free education the QGS podcast provides, subscribe Quit Getting Screwed podcast and never miss an episode. Quit Getting Screwed is an educational construction and contracting podcast that interviews incredible industry professionals and uploads every week. For more from Karalynn, follow The Cromeens Law Firm on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram. You can also purchase the book that started it all, Quit Getting Screwed, on Amazon.

Episode Link: https://the-quit-getting-screwed-podcast.castos.com/episodes/episode-15-safety-first-understanding-osha-with-jonelle-oldacre

This article is intended as a general educational overview of the subject matter and is not intended to be a comprehensive survey of recent jurisprudence, nor a substitute for legal advice for a specific legal matter. If you have a legal issue, consult an attorney.