On Tuesday, February 11th, 2014, in conjunction with the Grain Journal, the national OSHA Practice Group at Epstein Becker & Green delivered a webinar focused on "Preparing For and Managing an OSHA Inspection at a Grain Handling Facility." The 90-minute webinar, including a Q&A session, was recorded, and the Grain Journal 
has made the recording available online.
While this briefing touched on some unique enforcement issues at grain handling facilities, the background information about OSHA inspections and the strategies and recommendations are applicable across all industries.
The February 11th webinar about preparing for and managing an OSHA inspection was particularly important now, because OSHA has increased enforcement to levels never seen before, from huge increases in the numbers of inspections, civil penalties, and citations characterized as "willful" or "repeat," to more criminal referrals. OSHA has also introduced more aggressive strategies during inspections, creating a minefield for employers across all industries. The grain industry in particular, however, has been under a unique level of scrutiny. The consequences of an employer in the grain industry being caught unprepared for an OSHA inspection, therefore, are more dire now than ever.
Topics covered in the webinar:
- Employers' Goals for an OSHA inspection
- Steps employers should take before OSHA begins an inspection
- Employers' and employees' workplace inspection rights
- Stages of OSHA inspections, with tips to manage each stage.
The recording includes an audio broadcast with a video of the accompanying PowerPoint presentation. Here is a link to the recording of the Preparing for and Managing an OSHA Inspection Webinar.
This was the third OSHA law briefing in a series of webinars for the grain industry in conjunction with the Grain Journal. The first webinar in the series, presented in September 2013, was entitled "New OSHA Sweep Auger Enforcement Policies... How They Will Affect You," and the second, delivered in December 2013, was entitled "Railcar Fall Protection: What OSHA Requires of Grain Elevator Operators."