Construction sites are one of the most dangerous places for people to visit and work. Therefore, complaint signs are required.
Who Mandates Construction Site Signs?
There are a few different entities which mandate construction site signs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is one such organization. OSHA is a government agency which establishes the safety standards for workplaces across the United States. OSHA works to ensure employees have a safe working environment and employers are providing the necessary safety equipment and training.
Why do Construction Site Signs Need to Be Compliant?
- Safety: The number one priority on any construction site should be safety. Signs not up to code can pose a serious hazard to workers and passersby.
- Keep the project on schedule: Delays are costly. Non-compliant signs lead to construction site closures, which will put the project behind schedule.
- Protect investments: When working on a high-budget project, the last thing construction companies want is for something to go wrong to jeopardize the completion of the project. Installing compliant signs helps ensure the project stays on track and gets completed.
What Happens if Businesses Don’t Use Compliant Signs?
Companies could face serious penalties if they don’t use compliant signs at construction sites. OSHA will issue fines for non-compliance, and these fines can be significant. In addition, if an accident occurs and it’s determined the signs were not up to code, the company could be held liable.
Violations and Penalties
- Other than serious violations: An unsafe act directly linked to job safety and health unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. The maximum penalty for each infringement at the officer’s discretion is $14,502.
- Serious violation: If an employer knows about a hazardous work situation resulting in death or serious injury, they may be subject to a fine of up to $14,502 per occurrence.
- Willful violation: When an employer deliberately commits an offense, knows what they are doing is wrong, or creates a dangerous situation. If they don’t make any effort to fix it, then under the OSH Act, they could get fined anywhere from $9,639 to $145,027 for each offense.
- Failure to abate: When an employer has not addressed a prior citation following re-inspection. The maximum penalty is $14,502 per day unfettered after the abatement date, generally restricted to 30 days.
- Repeat violation: A repeat citation is when, upon re-inspection, a substantially similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule, or order is found. Receiving one of these citations can result in fines of up to $145,027 for each violation. The original citation must be final to serve as the basis for a repeat; a citation under contest may not lead to another citation.
Don’t jeopardize your businesses by not having compliant construction site signs. Contact us, FASTSIGNS® of Boise, ID, today.
