A new Occupational Safety and Health Administration directive aimed at providing OSHA representatives guidance in communicating with the family members of the deceased is now in place.
“OSHA is committed to working with families to explain the circumstances surrounding the deaths of their loved ones,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Dr. David Michaels. “This directive ensures that OSHA receives the necessary information from the family to assist in the investigation, and keeps the family informed throughout the investigation and settlement processes.”
The new directive outlines a three-step approach for communicating with the family members.
These steps call for OSHA representatives to contact the victim’s family to explain the investigation process, timeline, and provide the family with updates throughout the investigation.
Once the investigation is closed the representative will explain findings to the family and address any questions. If an employer is issued citations, OSHA will provide a copy of the citation(s) to the family.
