The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has switched gears from inspections to assisting in recovery efforts in the regions in Florida hardest hit by Hurricane Ian last month, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced last week.
OSHA began providing outreach and on-site technical help in storm-ravaged areas Oct. 17, the DOL announced at the time, to protect response-and-recovery workers and prevent injuries or deaths.
“The agency had ceased programmed and planned enforcement inspections in counties identified in the hurricane’s path," OSHA stated in the announcement, "and – once the storm had passed – deployed safety and health professionals to help employers and workers engaged in recovery operations to eliminate serious hazards."
Areas where the agency has suspended inspections and began outreach initiatives include Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole and Volusia counties in Florida, according to the announcement.
Not all inspections have been paused in the affected areas, DOL notes in the announcement.
"While this work continues in heavily impacted areas," the agency states, "OSHA retains the right to perform enforcement inspections related to fatalities, catastrophic incidents, employee complaints, incidents involving life-altering injuries and employers who expose employees repeatedly to serious hazards during cleanup and recovery."
