If marine employers commit repeat violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) policies, the result could be placement in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP), a system designed to specifically address businesses that partake in "willful, repeated, or failure-to-abate violations" of the OSH Act.
Since workers in dockyard and longshoring facilities are vulnerable to dangerous conditions, evaluating and correcting recurrent risks may help prevent the types of problems that can lead to placement in this program.
According to OSHA's website, the SVEP applies to operators that have placed employees in repeated instances of severe danger: some of the examples included are highly hazardous chemicals, fatalities and "High Emphasis Hazards." This last term refers to high gravity serious hazards, and encompasses combustible dust, lead or amputation dangers.
OSHA recently referenced one case of a multiple offender in a press release last month. Basic Marine in Michigan has been charged with more than $242,940 in fines for 18 violations and placed in the SVEP. Of these, five were repeated, and the majority were labeled as serious safety violations. Larry Johnson, the director of a local OSHA office in Lansing, described the company's harmful attitude towards following regulations.
"Basic Marine continues to maintain an environment where employees are blamed if they're injured by dangerous machinery, and it fosters a culture where safety precautions are considered unnecessary," he said. "Even when workers are harmed, the company is reluctant to re-evaluate its safety and health programs, and that's wholly unacceptable."
This is only one possible circumstance that could arise if marine facilities are host to non-compliant and unsafe surroundings on numerous occasions. By seeking out knowledgeable marine insurers, companies guarantee they will be financially supported during the fallout from various possible hazards. Stay compliant with proper insurance law in the event that fines are brought against you.