ADOSH Frequently Asked Questions (English)

ADOSH prioritizes its inspections in the following order:

1. Imminent Danger; Fatality/Catastrophe Investigations
2. Complaint/Referral Investigations
3. Programmed Inspections

For programmed inspections, ADOSH currently focuses the majority of its efforts toward hazardous industries or those employers who have what appears to be a large number of workers' compensation claims.

ADOSH inspections must be targeted in a nonbiased manner. Therefore, we do not target specific employers for inspection. However, if an inspection is conducted and serious hazards or deficiencies are noted, ADOSH can target that same employer for a follow up inspection (or inspections) to verify that the noted deficiencies are corrected and remain corrected.

NA

No, not all accidents are inspected. ADOSH inspects those accidents which are required to be reported under the above requirements. In addition, ADOSH inspects accidents which may not fall under the reporting requirements, but which are within an area of emphasis, such as fall and trenching related accidents. ADOSH may also inspect other accidents, depending upon the nature, severity and/or public interest.

No. Arizona State law prohibits giving advanced notice of an inspection, except for unique situations which are approved by the Director.

There currently is no provision for issuing a "warning" instead of a citation for violations of Arizona's Occupational Safety and Health Act.

All monies collected from assessed penalties go into the State’s General Fund.

Contrary to popular rumor, ADOSH does not have the authority to shut down or seize a business, nor would we want such authority. All we want is for employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace for employees.

Anyone can file a complaint with ADOSH regarding unsafe working conditions. A complainant may choose to remain anonymous, if so desired.

Once a complaint is filed with ADOSH, it is first reviewed by the appropriate supervisor to determine if it is a valid complaint, the seriousness of the alleged hazard and the appropriate action to be taken. Valid complaints may be handled in one of two ways. First, the complaint may be assigned to an inspector for an actual on-site inspection. Second, the complaint may be handled by sending a letter to the employer, along with a description of the complaint items and a request that the employer respond to ADOSH, stating what action was taken to correct any hazards found. In either case, ADOSH will send a written response to the complainant regarding the action taken and the results.

There are several things you should keep in mind in the event that you receive citations. First, you must post a copy of the citation where the violation occurred. If this is not practical, then you must post it somewhere where it will be visible to all affected employees. Second, if you disagree with the citation or any proposed penalties, you have the right to contest them. To do so, you must contact ADOSH within 15 working days after receiving the citation(s) and provide written notice of your intent to contest. You may also request an informal conference with the supervisor to discuss the citation/penalties. This conference must be held within the same 15-day period. You also have the right to present the case before an Administrative Law Judge, if you do not agree with the outcome of the informal conference.

You may view and/or obtain a copy of an inspection report by contacting us at either (602) 542-5795 or toll-free at (855) 268-5251 or (520) 628-5478. Please note that an inspection record can only be made public after citations are issued or the file is closed. There is a nominal fee for copies of records.

Employees who believe that they have been discriminated against because they have engaged in protected activity may file complaints with ADOSH for investigation. Protected activity generally includes the filing of a complaint with ADOSH or another agency which regulates employee safety matters, or the voicing of a safety and health complaint to such an agency or to management. If an employee wishes to file a discrimination complaint with ADOSH, the employee must submit the written complaint within 30 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action to ADOSH.

If you wish to file a discrimination complaint with ADOSH, it must be received by ADOSH within 30 calendar days following the discriminatory action.

Compliance officers are prohibited from accessing information obtained by consultants.

• Compliance officers show up to conduct an inspection unannounced; consultants conduct surveys at a date and time scheduled with the employer in advance.
• If violations of the occupational safety and health standards are noted during a compliance inspection, citations and possible penalties will be issued; no citations or penalties are issued as a result of a consultation survey. Rather, a report detailing the consultants' findings is provided to the employer.
• A consultation survey is conducted at no cost to the employer (other than costs associated with correcting identified hazards). A compliance inspection can potentially "cost" an employer in terms of assessed penalties and the inconvenience of having an unannounced inspection.

Absolutely NOT!

We have better ways of finding you and targeting you for inspection without resorting to our training sign-up sheets. Seriously, we would never do that!

The Advocate is published electronically as a PDF and distributed via email. There are two ways to request to be added to the mailing list to receive it:

1. Send an e-mail to [email protected]. Include your name, employer name (if appropriate), and mailing address.
2. Type your email address into the box called Sign Up for ICA Email Information towards the bottom of this page and press Go. This will take you to the website where our lists are maintained. Follow the directions there and check the boxes for as many lists as you'd like to be on.

Either method will provide you an ongoing free subscription to the Advocate. You will continue to receive future issues unless you elect to Unsubscribe.

Current and back issues of the Advocate are also available for download from our website here.

ADOSH will not target you for inspection simply for requesting our services, including signing up for our newsletter. We put a lot of effort into the newsletter to communicate important safety and health information to more than 5,000 subscribers each quarter.

Yes. Arizona enforces the federal OSHA standards at 29 CFR, parts 1910 (General Industry), 1926 (Construction) and 1928 (Agriculture). In addition, there are a few requirements that are unique to Arizona, including prohibition on the use of the short-handled hoe in agriculture work and the use of PVC pipe to transport compressed gasses, including air.

In general, all employers with more than 10 employees must maintain the OSHA 300 log. There are some exceptions to this rule, which our consultants would be happy to clarify for you.

We have some summary information regarding VPP here on this website. Please take a moment to view it and give us a call if you have further interest in this program.