Connecticut Occupational Safety and Health inspector Jim Fusaro can sum up his job pretty easily: “We want everybody who comes into with work 10 fingers, 10 toes and a pulse to go home with all of those things,” he said.
CONN-OSHA, which operates under the Connecticut Department of Labor, tries to accomplish that goal by enforcing a multitude of regulations in state and town offices, boards of education and other public sector workplaces throughout the state, while the federal government handles the same duties for private businesses. With only five compliance officers to cover 169 towns, plus state agencies, it’s a busy job, Fusaro says. Top priority is given to accidents or situations that pose an imminent danger, and to workplace fatalities, all of which must be reported within 24 hours.
“We go out on all of those right after the phone rings,” Fusaro said. Other inspections are triggered by complaints from employees, or are simply routine, unannounced visits during which an inspector walks through the facility looking for a wide range of health and safety infractions.
For example, eye wash stations must be present and operational in all workplaces where chemicals or contaminants are present. They also ensure proper training is provided to workers who, for example, operate a forklift.
Serious OSHA standard violations can result in a penalty of up to $1,000. But penalties are often reduced after the employer provides proof that the problem has been abated. “We’re a state agency and we live in Connecticut, so we don’t like fining our towns,” Fusaro said. “We try to be reasonable with employers because everybody is strapped for cash in this economy, so we’d rather have them keep that money and put it toward a new trench box or training that would correct the situation.”
Less serious infractions — a cord running across the floor causing a tripping hazard — don’t incur a penalty, but must be corrected by the employer. Compliance officers often simply ask the employer to provide photographs showing that problems have been resolved. But inspectors reserve the right to conduct a follow-up inspection.
Most employers are cooperative, but some get defensive when an OSHA inspector appears at the door. “It can be a challenge to get them to realize I’m not the bad guy,” Fusaro said. “I don’t work on a commission basis and I’d be thrilled to go in and find no violations. We’re not there to harass employers but to make sure they provide their employees with a healthy, safe work environment.”
