Hawaii Occupational Safety & Health (“HIOSH”) has some warnings for companies who have elevators or who do trenching and excavation work.

Elevator Fines up to $10,000

HIOSH issued a Notification indicating that the State of Hawaii’s Boiler and Elevator Inspection Branch will be issuing citations to responsible parties who are operating, installing, altering, or constructing an elevator without a valid applicable permit.  The notification indicated that existing violations include, among other things, elevators operating without permits because the owner(s) have not paid their bills for completed inspections and thus were not issued a valid permit, and disregard by some parties for the required elevator installation, alteration, or construction permits.  The penalty may be up to $10,000 for each violation.  If you have an elevator, now is a good time to confirm that you have paid your bill for completed inspections and have received a valid operating permit or submitted a request for an applicable permit.

HIOSH Hazard Highlight - Trenches

HIOSH advised that as of September 1, 2019, HIOSH Inspectors will initiate inspections whenever they observe an open trench or an open excavation, regardless of whether violations are readily observed.  These inspections are part of HIOSH’s adoption of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) National Emphasis Program (“NEP”) on Trenching and Excavation.  To ensure your workers are safe and your company avoids violations, review HIOSH’s three-volume “Hazard Highlight” newsletters, which provide employers with information on trenching and excavation safety.