Can Osha Visit Your Business without Notice in Florida?

Visits from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance officers can be daunting for employers in Florida. Can a compliance officer visit your business without notice, and what might that mean for your company?

In Florida, OSHA doesn’t have to give advanced notice of an impending visit. While it might inform employers sooner in certain situations, OSHA typically informs employers of a visit just before it is scheduled. Because of that, you may have little time to prepare. That is why staying prepared and keeping the necessary information easily accessible is important. If you’ve just received notice of an OSHA visit to your business and are concerned about your Worker’s Compensation insurance premiums, don’t be. Unless unaddressed, OSHA visits and violations should have little effect on your premiums in Florida.

If you need Workers’ Compensation insurance for your Florida business, our brokers can help. To learn more about the Florida Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers at NPN Brokers, call today at (561) 990-3022.

Does OSHA Need to Give You Notice of a Visit to Your Florida Business?

Typically, businesses in Florida do not receive advanced notice of an upcoming OSHA visit. This is because OSHA compliance officers want to see and investigate a workplace as it usually is and not give companies time to address safety concerns without getting the proper instruction or necessary citations.

You usually won’t receive advanced notice of an OSHA visit to your business in Florida. You might hear from an OSHA compliance officer about a day before they’re due at your business to start conducting an investigation. Generally, OSHA only gives advanced notice to businesses in Florida in the following situations:

• In cases of imminent danger to employees
• In cases where an inspection must occur outside of regular business hours
• In cases where an owner or manager will likely be off-site unless advanced notice is given
• In cases where a more in-depth investigation is necessary

If you learn about an employee filing an OSHA complaint, expect to get a visit from a compliance officer within 30 days of when the complaint was filed. It’s important to understand that OSHA doesn’t need to give you advanced notice of an upcoming visit or inspection, which is why having all the necessary information on hand and easily accessible is important for Florida businesses.

The reason why OSHA generally doesn’t give advanced notice of an upcoming visit is so compliance officers can better understand a workplace’s normal environment and possible hazards. However, if a complaint makes it clear that there is imminent danger to workers, OSHA will likely give advanced notice to an employer to avoid potential accidents.

Preparing for an OSHA Visit to Your Florida Business without Advanced Notice

Because it is unlikely that you will receive advanced notice of an OSHA investigation, it’s important to always be prepared. This is especially true for companies in high-risk industries, like construction, that may be more likely to have workplace accidents.

Preparing for an OSHA visit can seem impossible, especially if you aren’t given much notice. To make the opening conference and subsequent inspection easier, keep all the necessary information on hand. This might include proof of insurance from your carrier, which our Florida Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers can help you get, and other information about your company’s safety practices.

Typically, the best way to prepare for an OSHA visit is by maintaining a safe working environment for your employees. While a complaint may be filed for any reason, not just because of a recent workplace accident, they typically arise after an event causing injury to a worker. If a recent workplace accident happened at your Florida business, it might be wise to prepare for a possible visit from an OSHA compliance officer.

Should You Worry About Your Workers’ Comp Premiums After Receiving Notice of an OSHA Visit in Florida?

You might be concerned when you’re not given much notice of an OSHA visit and a compliance officer seemingly appears at your business. Will this visit impact your Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums? What might come of an OSHA visit? Our Florida Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers have the answers.

Luckily for employers in Florida, OSHA visits have little to no impact on Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums. So, let that alleviate some stress. The coverage you get from our Florida Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers should remain unaffected after an OSHA visit.

That said, OSHA visits typically occur for a reason. While not a prerequisite, an OSHA visit may happen after a workplace injury in Florida. While OSHA visits don’t influence insurance premium increases, workplace accidents might. To prevent that from happening, or to address the situation if it arises, speak with our Florida OSHA insurance brokers.

After getting a visit from an OSHA compliance officer with or without notice, an employer might face penalties if violations were found. OSHA violations might indicate elevated risk to insurance carriers, resulting in an increased in premiums. This is why it is important to keep careful tabs on possible OSHA violations and address them as soon as possible. Failure to rectify such problems might lead to additional workplace accidents and higher Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums for businesses in Florida.

So, you shouldn’t automatically panic if you receive advanced or short notice of an upcoming OSHA visit to your business. Instead, consider why a complaint might have been filed and address those issues, so your Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums are unaffected in Florida.

Get Workers’ Compensation Insurance from Our Florida Brokers Today

Our brokers can help your company get the necessary Workers’ Compensation insurance coverage in Florida. To learn more about the Florida Small Business Workers’ Compensation insurance brokers at NPN Brokers, call today at (561) 990-3022.