MITA has seen an increase in Serious citations for routine violations that were previously cited as Other-Than-Serious. This change stems from an initiative by upper management at MIOSHA, where serious citations are now issued for lack of accident prevention plans and/or lack of first aid certificates on each job site. MITA is strongly opposed to this initiative and has questioned MIOSHA’s logic, and is currently researching its legality as these citations do not meet the criteria for a serious classification. In any event MITA is seeing an increase of inspection in general with an emphasis on these items.
In the meantime, all companies should ensure that Accident Prevention Plans and First Aid cards are present on each job site. We have copies of our health and safety guide available, which serve as comprehensive accident prevention plans for the heavy construction industry. The books can be ordered here, available in both hardcopies and PDF formats. If you have any questions, please contact MITA’s Director of Safety and Compliance, Greg Brooks, at gregbrooks@thinkmita.org
