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OSHA Local Emphasis Program for Breweries

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On August 1, the Colorado Brewers Guild hosted a presentation at Phantom Canyon Brewing in Colorado Springs regarding the upcoming OSHA Local Emphasis Program (LEP) for the beverage manufacturing industry. If your brewery is in the Englewood Area Office (Southern Colorado) you have probably already received a letter outlining the program. While it appears that Northern Colorado has not yet instituted a LEP for our industry, it is apparent that it will in the future.

All breweries in Colorado should be prepared for an inspection. To assist in that preparation, here are some quick takeaways from the presentation:
1) Be prepared when OSHA shows up. They will show up unannounced and require access in a timely manner. Have a plan for who should be called (if not present) to accompany the inspector. There is a great publication by the Brewers Association titled “Surviving an OSHA Inspection” which outlines specific steps.
2) Top concerns for our industry are confined spaces, forklifts, occupational noise exposure and ergonomics.
3) Participation in OSHA’s SHARP program (designed for small employers with less than 250 employees) and fulfillment of its requirements can exempt an employer from an OSHA inspection for a limited time.
4) Be educated on the requirements. If you are not already an expert on workplace safety, spend some time learning. We have compiled some great resources to help get you up to speed at the end of this post.

The LEP inspections are planned to start around October of this year so it’s worth getting prepared sooner rather than later. If you have additional input or know of resources not listed below, please help us share them with the membership by emailing the CBG staff (Andres at andres@coloradobeer.org).

OSHA will also be providing another presentation for our brewers at the first annual Colorado Craft Brewers Summit on Monday, November 13. Stay tuned for more information.

Resources:
• Powerpoint from August 1 presentation to Colorado Brewers Guild
• Info on OSHA’s SHARP program
• BA’s Best Practice for the Management of Confined Spaces in Breweries
• BA’s Best Practice for the Management of Powered Industrial Trucks
• BA’s Best Practice for Surviving an OSHA Inspection
• BA’s Best Practice for the https://www.brewersassociation.org/best-practices/safety/protective-clothing-for-brewery-workers/
Sample Safety and Health programs from OSHA
MBAA safety resources, including templates and safety meeting topics

Post Written by Mike Bristol of Bristol Brewing Company Colorado Springs, CO

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