OSHA’s FABMETSH Program is Targeting Metal Fabricators in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico and Louisiana

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Below is a transcript of the video:

Hello and welcome. Alright, so I put together this video to let you know that OSHA just renewed their enforcement program that’s targeting metal fabricators in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas until 2027. And to let you know that they’re already hitting companies in issuing fines that are literally running into the tens and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars. And in this short video, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about this enforcement program, how much you can end up costing your company if you’re not prepared, and most importantly, what steps you can take starting today to get prepared so you can pass. By the way, my name is Russell Carr and my company specializes in helping steel fabricators to build strong safety programs to protect their employees and their company from harm. Alright, so let’s get started by summarizing what you need to know about the program.

Let’s start off with the basics. Why is OSHA targeting the metal and seal fabrication industry? There’s actually two reasons. Number one, it’s because of the high number of dangerous health and safety hazards that are inherent to the fabrication process. And number two, the resulting high injury rates that OSHA has been seeing. So a little bit more about the program. The program actually started back in 2016, but it was just renewed again in July of 2024 and will continue until 2027. And yes, the program has a name, it’s called Fab Match. I know that’s kind of an odd name, but that’s what they’re calling it. So let’s go ahead and talk about what Fab Match could end up costing your company if you’re not ready. So to begin with, it’s really important to understand that these are going to be what are called comprehensive inspections. These are actually pretty rare these days, these days, but they’re the worst kind of inspection because they literally scrutinize all areas of your safety program from your shop floor to your written programs and records.

And due to this broad scope, these inspections result in the highest number of citations and fines. I’ve been tracking this data very carefully because it’s public information and total fines are averaging on the low end around $15,000 to the high end. On average about 50,000, but in some cases can exceed a hundred thousand dollars or more, especially if your company already failed one of these inspections and they come back and inspect you again. Since the start of the program in 2016, fines have actually increased by 70%. That’s because they’re getting more aggressive about this. So trends are definitely going in the wrong direction. You have to ask yourself, could your company really afford this? So bottom line, your chances of getting and then failing an OSHA inspection have skyrocketed until 2027. In other words, this risk isn’t going away anytime soon. So you have to ask yourself, is your company prepared if OSHA shows up tomorrow?

So if you’re not sure about that, here’s a quick rundown to the major things that OSHA will scrutinize when they arrive so you can decide and see for yourself. So first of all, they’re going to walk your entire shop floor looking for any and all health and safety hazards. This could last a few hours or it could literally last for days. Then they’ll last for anywhere between three and five years of your OSHA 300 logs that have to be completed and accurate, your employee training records. Then they can often conduct private confidential interviews with your employees to ask about how your company manages safety, your attitude about safety and that kind of thing. Then it make matters worse. They’re going to ask for and scrutinize all of your OSHA programs that apply to fabricators. That includes things like lockout, tagout, hazard communication, hearing conservation, respiratory protection and more.

So not only will you have to produce these written programs, but you’re also going to have to prove that they’re up to date and that they’ve been customized to your company’s operations. They can’t just be a generic safety manual and that you’ve been actively managing all requirements for each. And those requirements are pretty extensive. So unless they’re absolutely sure that your safety program is current in all these different areas, it’s time to take action because again, it’s probably only a matter of time before they show up between now and 2027. But here’s where I actually have my first piece of good news. I know this has been tough, kind of doom and gloom so far, but since you now know about this program, you now know about this threat. You still have time to get prepared and pass the inspection. So let’s talk about how you can actually do that.

So really let me start by saying there’s no way around it. In order to get fully prepared, you’ll need to conduct an internal health and safety program assessment and audit and implement corrective actions when needed, but make sure to do so following OSHA’s comprehensive inspection process because again, that’s how they’re going to manage the inspection if they show up in your front lobby. So obviously that’s easier said than done, but here’s where I have some more good news, and that’s because we have put together the perfect free resource to help you make it happen. Gear up with our free fab match preparation checklist. This is your ultimate guide to passing a fab Match comprehensive inspection because it literally gives you step-by-step guidance for evaluating your company’s current OSHA compliance condition, and also helping you implement corrective actions when needed. It’s specifically designed for metal and steel fabricators.

Get our free checklist now to get prepared and pass your inspection. Click on the email link that I sent to you or on the link below the video and get your copy today. But do it now before OSHA shows up because again, as I keep on saying, it’s probably just a matter of time before they do. So. Between now and 2027, given the risk of high fines and penalties, not to mention the safety of your employees, this is really just good business and common sense. Make sure to download that our free guide today and make use of it at your company. By the way, don’t be afraid to reach out. If you have any questions or concerns about this program, I’m more than happy to schedule a free, absolutely no obligation consultation to answer any questions that you might have. Thanks again for watching and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you.

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By Russell Carr|2024-10-06T18:27:13-05:00October 6th, 2024|Good To Know|Comments Off

About the Author: Russell Carr

How A Sales Guy Transformed Into An Environmental, Health & Safety Expert & Advocate For Small Businesses I've spent my entire 30+ year career working within the manufacturing and “industrial services” sectors. The first 15 years of my career focused on sales of hazardous materials related products and services to the manufacturing sector, then for the last 16+ years transitioned into entrepreneurship, founding 3 small industrial services related contracting businesses. As you’ll see below, running these companies eventually lead me to found yet a 4th business, but more on that in a minute…. Here’s a brief description of the first 3 companies: Berg Environmental Services, Inc.: hazardous waste disposal & transportation services, founded in August of 2003 3rd party wind energy operations & maintenance services provider to utility scale wind farms throughout the US, founded in September 2007 3rd party oil & gas exploration & production services provider, founded in August of 2011 Each of these companies operated in extremely dangerous working conditions and exposed my employees to a wide range of serious health & safety hazards on a daily basis. To complicate matters, 2 of the companies also exposed the environment to significant potential harm. In other words, I learned very early the critical importance of managing environmental, health and safety issues so as to ensure the safety of our employees and the environment, as well as minimizing related risks. But I also learned how incredibly difficult and challenging this endeavor can be due to the wide range of complicated and continually changing environmental, health and safety rules and regulations that impacted the companies. To summarize the challenges: First I had to determine which regulations applied to each company, then I had to build compliance programs to meet those regulations, and finally I had to ensure that the programs were being managed and followed by our staff on a daily basis. All while trying to run and grow 3 profitable businesses…. It was overwhelming and I always struggled to keep up. To make matters worse, throughout this time I also witnessed the devastating price that companies, management and ownership can pay for failing to manage EHS compliance. This included seeing one of my hazardous waste management clients get sent to jail over environmental issues, another client’s management team threatened with jail time, a direct competitor get fined $378,000 by OSHA fine after an employee was nearly killed, and many others face major fines and penalties. Full disclosure, one of my companies got fined by OSHA at one point, & another was cited by TCEQ, so I know how it feels. In summary, I learned first hand how incredibly difficult it is for small companies to manage EHS compliance due to a common lack of the critical expertise, time and resources that are needed to keep up, and how this situation then ends up exposing them to these potentially catastrophic risks that can literally destroy lives and businesses. This later inspired me to found my 4th company, Berg Compliance Solutions in 2012, which is dedicated to helping other small businesses, and business owners, to manage EHS compliance and risk. Education BA, Philosophy, University of Colorado, Boulder, December, 1990. Summary of Professional Experience & Qualifications: 30+ years serving the manufacturing & industrial services sectors 30+ years of sales and marketing experience 16+ years as small business owner & entrepreneur: Founded and operated 4 small businesses since 2003. Environmental, Health & Safety Compliance & Program Related: 19 plus years of hazardous waste management including EPA, TCEQ & RCRA regulations 8 years of DOT/FMCSA compliance experience, including hazardous materials transportation 8 years of combined experience implementing and managing OSHA health and safety compliance programs for 2 high risk energy services businesses Successfully implemented and gained ISO 9001 Quality Management Certification and OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health & Safety Advisory Service) Certification for wind energy maintenance business. Regulatory Enforcement Related Experience: Served as expert witness in criminal environmental compliance enforcement cases Superfund-CERCLA OSHA enforcement inspections, investigations and resolution in following industries: industrial services, manufacturing & construction. TCEQ enforcement inspections, investigations and resolution in manufacturing.