Workplace Safety & Health Compliance: A Guide for Facility & Residential Services

Safety and health compliance is a growing focus for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and its state counterparts, especially in the facility and residential services sector. High-risk operations, such as roofing, restoration and remediation, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and general contracting, often lead to significant enforcement and financial risk if not managed proactively. Poor safety practices can result in costly fines, disrupted operations, and damage to a business’s reputation. This Insight breaks down key topics relevant to investors as they conduct due diligence on potential facility and residential services targets and to businesses as they manage their existing sites and workforces and integrate newly acquired brands and locations.

COMMON OSHA RISK AREAS

Investors should consider focusing on these high-priority safety areas to reduce their exposure:

• Fall protection
• Electrical safety
• Confined spaces
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Respiratory protection
• Ladder safety
• Control of hazardous energy

OSHA ENFORCEMENT FOCUS

OSHA uses targeted programs at national, regional, and local levels, with current special attention to the following:

• Fall prevention and safety
• Electrical hazards
• Demolition activities
• Heat illness prevention
• Landscaping
• Residential and high-rise construction

Red Flags for Increased Enforcement

Facility and residential services investors and management teams that employ a buy-and-build should be particularly mindful of the following areas as they acquire additional brands and locations:

• Multiple service lines without centralized safety oversight
• History of OSHA citations in emphasis program areas
• Inconsistent training across worksites

BUSINESS & FINANCIAL IMPACT

Safety records impact an investor’s ability to win contracts and manage costs:

• Bidding processes increasingly review safety histories
• Repeat, willful, or serious violations increase fines and exclusion risk
• Good safety records improve employee relations, reduce turnover, and strengthen  industry reputation

RESPONDING TO OSHA ACTIONS

Informal Complaints

• Most common type of OSHA engagement
• Require a written response within five business days
• Strategic and prompt responses can resolve issues quickly and build goodwill

On-Site Inspections

• Less frequent, but higher risk
• Often result from employee complaints or targeted enforcement
• Effective inspection management can reduce citations and penalties

Immediate Steps for Compliance

Quick actions investors can take to strengthen their safety programs include the following:

• Create a protocol for responding to OSHA inspections and ensure this protocol is implemented at all locations
• Train supervisors and local management teams on managing OSHA procedures and communications
• Document corrective actions to show commitment to compliance

BUILDING A LASTING SAFETY CULTURE

Long-term improvements come from consistent effort:

• Use third-party consultants for confidential safety audits
• Regularly update training, PPE programs, and communication plans and ensure consistency across brands and locations
• Reinforce the importance of safety with clear, consistent messaging and enforcement to local management teams and employees
• Treat safety investment as a compliance obligation and a competitive differentiator

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• OSHA and state counterparts continue to allocate significant enforcement resources in facility and residential services
• Proactive compliance and a strong safety culture that is consistently communicated and implemented across all brands and locations reduce risk
• Poor safety records harm profitability and market access
• A prepared enforcement response strategy that is adopted by both centralized and local management teams protects business

HOW WE CAN HELP

Our team stands ready to partner with facility and residential services clients to help:

• Conduct confidential safety audits and identify compliance gaps
• Develop and improve compliance and training programs
• Respond to OSHA complaints and inspections
• Defend against citations and minimize business disruption