Doesn't our government, state,local, and federal, have anything more productive to do than overwhelm small business owners with ridiculous requirements. I got a call from OSHA today saying they are sending me a packet with all kinds of forms and a fee of $300. I just spent $400 to replace a water backflow to a building that only has water to the toilet and sink. My business is a small fabrication shop that the only employee is me. I guess the business owners have to foot the bill for all the non productive gov't employees that enforce these regs. Anyway, rant over, I have to go earn $300 so I can give it to an OSHA employee.

Make sure it's really OSHA we get calls monthly from scam artists saying they are a part of the compliance department. The way they word it sounds legit but a simple call to the real deal proves they aint

What he Said there are a lot of letters I get that look official. They turn out to be bogus when I call the agencies in question.

But you are right no the Government does not have anything better to do except go after small business. Seems they want everything there way or they want to own it. just wait for the new rules of OB care to roll out the end of November.

I've had the bogus stuff happen to me as well. Call before you just send a check.

Thanks. I will check into it.

Wait a minute. My information may be out of date, but at one time, OSHA rules and regulations did not apply to businesses with less than 10 employees if all employees were related, i.e. a family business.

As stated, that may be old info. What is NOT old info is the following: "Those not covered by the OSH Act include: self-employed workers, ................". So if you are self-employed ("the only employee is me."), according to this, OSHA does not apply.

I've got this called up on my other screen as I type this. It is from the "www.osha.gov/OSHA_FAQs.html, OSHA's Jurisdiction, Am I covered by OSHA?

One other point: My first thought was it struck me as odd that OSHA would check a backflow preventer. I've had ours checked before, but not by OSHA.

From another section in OSHA.gov.

The following are not covered under the Act:

Self-employed persons;
Farms at which only immediate members of the farm employer's family are employed; and
Working conditions regulated by other federal agencies under other federal statutes.

whats the name of your place dagwood?

Creative Acrylics & Plastic Supply

I'd check into it, as said above I'm self employed with family and they told me I was exempt

Turkey is dead on. OSHA definitely has no jurisdiction over you if you are the owner and have no employees. OSHA does not cover the self-employed; immediate family members of farm employers without outside employees; or hazards regulated by another Federal agency like the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Coast Guard, or the Department of Energy.

Off the top of my head I can't think of any fees OSHA would collect, unless you had been fined. If you had been fined you would of known it before now.

Yep get calls all the time that are simply sales companies trying to sale safety posters and they use very convincing terminology to make you feel like you are guilty of not having some crap you need.

I got a call from the receptionist one day that OSHA was at the plant and needed to see me. I dropped everything and high tailed it over there to see what was going on, and it was a consulting group whose company name acronym was OSHA.

I politely told them to hit the highway and not come back. Bunch of Jack Wagons. I am sure that using OSHA as their company name is illegal, but I never did anything about it.