If your facility has been cited by OSHA, EPA, the EEOC, or another regulatory agency, it’s important to take steps immediately to address violations and bring your workplace into compliance. While some corrections may fall solely upon your environment, health, and safety (EHS) department, others may require the involvement of facilities management (FM) pros in order to update facility design, accessibility, or safety.
Kerkez / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
Therefore, it’s vital that facility managers are included in the process and know how to act in the event of a citation. Here’s what to do if a compliance officer has cited your facility.
- Ask for suggestions to correct the problems found.
- Request a copy of the inspection form and the final report when prepared.
- Prepare your own inspection report. Acknowledge findings of the inspector and confirm promised operation changes in writing, including a list of all cited violations and corrective action required.
- Immediately correct violations cited by the inspector when it is possible to do so on the spot.
- Make a special note of which violations have been corrected during the inspection.
- Watch for receipt of violation notices, abatement orders, and other citations that may result from the inspection.
- Before you receive these citations, write to the regulatory agency to list the violations you have already corrected.
- Act on the inspection results with proper advice and supervision.
- Check your final resolution of any citations with supervisors, upper management, your EHS team (if applicable), and attorneys.
- Request a closing conference if the compliance officer does not offer one. Discuss any violations during this meeting and ask for the compliance officer’s input concerning corrective action.
- Ask the compliance officer to explain your rights and responsibilities in connection with any citations.
- Ask the compliance officer to fully answer all of your questions concerning the inspection, violations, citations, or any other related matters.
- Ask the inspector for copies of any photographs or monitoring data collected during the inspection.
- Take immediate action to correct violations in accordance with the requirements of the regulations.