1. I Confess, Management Did It

What You Say: “I’ve been complaining to management for months about that doggone hazard!”

What the Inspector Hears: “Management was aware of a hazard and still didn’t address it. We’re looking at a willful citation.”

2. It’s the Worker’s Fault

What You Say: “We have a company policy banning workers from engaging in that unsafe practice and those guys are violating the policy.”

What the Inspector Hears: “The company’s safety policies are just for show because management doesn’t enforce them.”

3. We Tried to Fix It

What You Say: “I know it’s a hazard but the widget we ordered to remedy it three months ago still hasn’t arrived.”

What the Inspector Hears: “The company committed a willful violation by allowing workers to be exposed to a known hazard before remedial measures had been implemented.”

4. We Can’t Afford to Fix It

What You Say: “I know we should implement that safety measure. But we’re a small company and can’t afford that kind of thing.”

What the Inspector Hears: “Those guys deliberately and unilaterally decided to ignore an OSHA requirement without substituting adequate safety measures.”

5. Our Way Is Better

What You Say: “This is the way everybody in our industry does it and has been doing it for decades.”

What the Inspector Hears: “The company relies on industry standards and is either ignorant of or deliberately in violation of OSHA requirements.”

The one thing I would say.Man I gotta pee,see ya in a couple of hours.

remember...when the guy steps up and says "hi, I'm from OSHA" Reply: good to see you, I'm from (insert your city), how's the weather in Osha these days?