Hawaii businesses can expect up to 500 safety inspections in 2013, and there will be up to an annual 740 inspections by 2015, says Dept. of Labor & Industrial Relations Director Dwight Takamine, speaking at a special briefing held at HEC on August 22.

Takamine outlined the operational status agreement between the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration and Hawaii Occupational Safety & Health, which allows the federal government to step in and assist the state in enforcing workplace safety. Due to cutbacks in staffing, HIOSH was conducting fewer than 300 inspections per year, Takamine noted. Regarding penalties for safety violations, OSHA and HIOSH use the same system whereby violations are determined by the severity and probability of harm, and an employer may get reductions based on employment side, good faith and history, according to DLIR’s FAQ on the agreement.