In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has initiated efforts to provide onsite technical assistance and outreach in the areas of Florida hardest hit by the storm to protect workers involved in the recovery and response and to prevent any further injury or loss of life.

The agency had ceased programmed and planned enforcement inspections in counties identified in the hurricane’s path, and — once the storm had passed — deployed safety and health professionals to help employers and workers engaged in recovery operations to eliminate serious hazards.

While this work continues in heavily impacted areas, OSHA retains the right to perform enforcement inspections related to fatalities, catastrophic incidents, employee complaints, incidents involving life-altering injuries and employers who expose employees repeatedly to serious hazards during cleanup and recovery.

OSHA provides free onsite consultation services to help employers identify and correct hazardous conditions at their worksites, as well as improve occupational safety and health management systems. For workplaces in affected areas of Florida, employers can schedule an onsite consultation visit by contacting the University of South Florida On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Program.