Abatement Verification

OSHA is issuing a final regulation requiring those employers who have received a citation(s) for violation(s) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act or Act) to certify that they have abated the hazardous condition for which they were cited and to inform affected employees of their abatement actions. The abatement procedures a specific employer must follow depend on the nature of the violation(s) identified and the employer's abatement actions. If abatement occurs during or immediately after the inspection that identified the violation(s), the employer is not required to submit an abatement certification letter to OSHA. If the violation(s) is an other-than-serious violation, or a serious violation that does not require additional documentation, the employer is required to certify abatement using a simple one-page form or equivalent. In cases involving the most serious violations, additional documentation is required. The final regulation being published today codifies, simplifies, and streamlines the abatement certification procedures that OSHA has previously enforced administratively. OSHA has determined that this abatement verification regulation will reduce employers' paperwork, enhance employee participation in the abatement process, increase the number of cited hazards that are quickly abated, and streamline and standardize OSHA's abatement procedures.