A 1-day OSHA Hawaii Workshop was held on May 14.  The workshop covered various topics, including the new drone inspection program and federal OSHA updates.  Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (“HIOSH”) presented an update, which included a discussion on the new penalty levels and standards that went into effect earlier this year, FY 2018 statistics, and information about the Hawaii Voluntary Protection Program (“VPP”) and the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (“SHARP”).

FY 2018 Statistics

In fiscal year 2018, HIOSH conducted 759 inspections and issued 1,732 citations.  HIOSH reported an average of 2.76 citations per inspection.

The top three cited standards in general industry were (1) toxic and hazardous substances, (2) electrical, and (3) general safety and health requirements.  The top three cited standards in construction were (1) fall protection, (2) general safety and health requirements, and (3) electrical.

VPP

Approval into VPP is OSHA’s official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health.  In addition to national recognition as an employer committed to voluntarily making its workplace as safe and healthy as possible, employers accepted into VPP are removed from HIOSH’s Programmed Inspection Schedule.  More information is available here.

SHARP

SHARP is for employers with less than 250 employees on site and less than 500 employees corporate-wide.  If your worksite qualifies for SHARP, you can be exempt from routine or programmed HIOSH inspections for up to two years.  Click here for more information.