Effectively Managing a Crisis: Taking the First Steps

Many thousands of workplaces across the US are subject to OSHA regulations. Despite the considerable effort expended by employees, employers and regulators to ensure a safe work environment, many workplaces will face crises, such as workplace fatalities, that require considerable knowledge and prepa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Professional safety 2017-06, Vol.62 (6), p.30-35
Main Authors: White, Kristin R.B., Burr, Ryan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Best Practices
Business
Business law
Compliance
Contingency planning
Criminal liability
Crises
Emergency management
Emergency preparedness
Emergency response
Employees
Employers
Fatalities
Fines & penalties
Litigation
Management planning
Media
Mortality
Occupational health
Occupational safety
Planning
Regulations
Reporting requirements
Reviews
Risk
Risk management
Workers compensation
Working conditions
Workplaces
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Summary:Many thousands of workplaces across the US are subject to OSHA regulations. Despite the considerable effort expended by employees, employers and regulators to ensure a safe work environment, many workplaces will face crises, such as workplace fatalities, that require considerable knowledge and preparation to respond to effectively. Employers large and small must be prepared to respond to a crisis in a way that complies with regulatory obligations while at the same time minimizing business risk. This article reviews appropriate emergency response and risk management planning, the requirement to notify OSHA of a crisis, how to respond to an OSHA fatality investigation and handling media coverage of the tragedy. It also discusses the employer's legal privileges during an investigation and how to avoid common pitfalls that employers might face. Finally, the article discusses immediate steps that an employer should take in the event of a crisis.
ISSN:0099-0027