
Welcome
Helping you eliminate hazards, which could potentially cost you money
Razer Safety & Health provides a full range of occupational safety and health services: general industry, construction, maritime or mining.Razer Safety & Health Consultants, LLC, is owned and operated by Chester R. Razer, former Area Director for OSHA. He holds a Master’s Degree in engineering and is a Certified Safety Professional credentialed by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). As an occupational safety and health consulting firm, Razer Safety & Health provides high-quality safety and risk management services with the goal of effectively assisting each organization in risk management and safety consulting. Partnering to help achieve your safety, quality, and productivity goals is our top priority. Read Chester Razer's CV.
We provide comprehensive services including:
- Expert Witness Services
- Forensic Consulting
- Hazard Auditing
- Mines and Quarries
- OHSA Compliance, Inspection and Citation Assistance
- On-site Program Analysis and Risk Assessment
- Program Analysis, Development and Technical Writing
- Respirator Fit Testing
- Safety Training
Razer Safety & Health is located in midwest America in Columbia, IL. This easily accessible
location is close to both the east and west coasts. We have specialization in federal and state
OSHA compliance, with experience extending to all areas of industrial, maritime and construction
environments.
Our staff has more than 36 years experience in occupational safety and health matters. Let us
discuss your health and safety needs with you.
Our goal is simple: provide unparalleled service in a cost-effective manner. Razer Safety &
Health is committed to meeting all the needs of your company. Allow us to assist you today.
Important Breaking News
OSHA Withdraws "Fairfax Memo" – Union Representatives May No Longer Participate in Work Place Safety Walk Arounds at Non-Union Facilities.
The Act requires OSHA to publish by July 1, 2016, how it will implement the first inflation adjustment. The first adjustment must become effective on Aug. 1, 2016.
Quick OSHA Penalties Facts:
- The Bipartisan Budget Act (Act) was signed into law on Nov. 2, 2015
- The Act allows OSHA to increase the maximum penalties for safety and health violations
- The increases will become effective by Aug. 1, 2016
- The penalty amounts will continue to be adjusted for inflation each year
On Nov. 2, 2015, President Obama signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (Act), which is a two-year budget deal. One provision in the Act will allow OSHA to increase the maximum penalty amounts it imposes on employers that violate occupational safety and health standards. These increases will become effective Aug. 1, 2016.
Justification for Increased OSHA Penalties
Many government agencies have the authority to adjust their maximum penalty amounts annually to reflect the cost of inflation, as shown by the consumer price index (CPI). However, OSHA has not been allowed to adjust its maximum penalty amounts since the penalties were enacted 25 years ago. The Act will allow OSHA to adjust the maximum penalty amounts to reflect inflation.
OSHA will be allowed to increase its maximum penalties in 2016 and adjust them annually for inflation starting in 2017
Catch-up Increase
The Act requires OSHA to implement the new maximum penalty amounts in two phases:
- An initial catch-up adjustment.
- An ongoing subsequent adjustment period.
The initial catch-up period took place in 2016 and allowed OSHA to make a cost-of-living
adjustment to account for the previous 25 years of non-adjustment. This catch-up increase is
capped at 150 percent of current OSHA penalty levels.
The Act requires OSHA to indicate the actual amount of the catch-up increase through an
interim final rule. Most predictions and speculations surrounding the actual increase
amounts hover around an 80 percent increase, because the current CPI index is around 78.2
percent higher than what it was when OSHA’s current penalties were adopted.
However, the Act also gives OSHA the discretion to increase the current maximum penalty
amounts by less than the cost-of-living adjustment if it determines that the full increase
will:
- Have a negative effect on the economy.
- Result in social costs that outweigh the benefits of the full increase. The Office of Management and Budget must agree with this determination.
The table below shows the speculated 80 percent increase, the maximum increase allowed by the Act, and how those increases would affect maximum OSHA penalty amounts in 2016.
Violation | Current Maximum | Amount of Increase | Increased Penalty Amount | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
80 % | 150% (max) | 80 % | 150 % (max) | ||
Non-serious | $7,000 | $5,600 | $10,500 | $12,600 | $17,500 |
Serious | $7,000 | $5,600 | $10,500 | $12,600 | $17,500 |
Willful or Repeated | $70,000 | $56,000 | $105,000 | $126,000 | $175,000 |
Willful (Resulting in Death) | $10,000 | $8,000 | $15,000 | $18,000 | $25,000 |
Uncorrected | $7,000 | $5,600 | $10,500 | $12,600 | $17,500 |
Annual Adjustments
After the initial catch-up provision takes place in 2016, the Act allows OSHA to update its maximum penalty amounts for inflation each year.
The first annual inflation adjustment will be allowed for 2017. OSHA will be required to publish annual updates by Jan. 15, 2017, to signal this increase and every year thereafter in the Federal Register.
To learn more about how this could potentially affect your business, talk with Razer Safety and Health Consulting.
OSHA Final Rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
Many employers with more than 10 employees – including electrical contractors around the
country – are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to keep a record
of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. Minor injuries requiring first aid only do
not need to be recorded.
As part of a new reporting rule issued by OSHA, all employers will be required to submit
their 300A Summary electronically beginning on Jan. 1, 2017.
Companies with 250 or more employees must start providing additional information in 2018,
including the 300A Summary, the 300 log form and all 301 or incident reports that have been
purged of employee and physician names and addresses.
OSHA has given all employers of 20-249 employees until July 1, 2017, to submit the 300A
electronically via its web portal for the calendar year 2016. The deadline is July 1, 2018,
for calendar year 2017.
OSHA does not prohibit post-incident testing and incentive programs as long as they do not
discourage reporting of injuries in any way. If a contractor, for instance, only did
post-incident testing after an incident or accident, that could be deemed discriminatory and
possibly discourage reporting.
A Drug Free Work Place program that has pre-employment testing, random testing and
reasonable suspicion testing, along with post-incident testing, would be a program that does
not discriminate against an employee simply for being involved in an accident or incident.
The total program would discourage drug use in the workplace and protect all employees from
these exposures.
For additional information on OSHA’s webpage on the new reporting rule, go to OSHA's Final Rule.
Final Rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Frequently-Asked Questions OSHA's Final Rule FAQ