5 Steps Food & Beverage Companies Can Take to Avoid OSHA Penalties and Preserve Their Reputations

For food and beverage companies, compliance with health and safety regulations is always top of mind. Not only do they want to protect their employees and their customers and avoid costly penalties from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), but they also want to protect their organizations’ reputation and integrity. 

Last fall, the United States Congress enacted legislation that required all federal agencies to adjust their civil penalties to account for inflation. As a result, the maximum penalty for a serious violation jumped from $7,000 to $12,471 as of Aug. 2, 2016. As for willful or repeat violations, that maximum penalty increased from $70,000 to $124,709 per violation. 

However, worse than the increased fines are the repercussions that come with being publicly called out for violating regulations. Besides needing to pay the fine and fix the problem, violators will also be subjected to heightened scrutiny from both agencies and the public, and have to rebuild consumers’ trust in their company and products. With brand trust becoming an increasingly important factor in consumer buying decisions, staying on the right side of the line matters more than ever.

The good news is there are some steps you can take to ensure compliance and avoid costly slip-ups. On the Antea Group blog, we outline some of those steps and offer advice for pulling them off.
 

About Antea Group
Antea Group is an international engineering and environmental consulting firm specializing in full-service solutions in the fields of environment, infrastructure, urban planning and water. By combining strategic thinking and multidisciplinary perspectives with technical expertise and pragmatic action, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. With more than 3,000 employees in over 100 offices around the world, we serve clients ranging from global energy companies and manufacturers to national governments and local municipalities. Learn more at http://us.anteagroup.com.