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News + Events
Check out the latest Staffmark timely articles, news, and stay informed about our latest innovations, awards, service lines, and more.
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Cincinnati, OH, March 30, 2026
Spring Into Compliance: 3 Safety Priorities for Employers to Keep in Mind
By Jesus Arredondo, Director of Safety, West Coast Region, Staffmark | 20+ Years in Safety Leadership
Spring is here. For many high-volume employers in manufacturing, distribution, and logistics, the promise of spring often includes more work, more workers, and additional safety considerations to keep in mind.
Where might you have blind spots or oversights? From decades of helping businesses staff and manage safe, compliant workplaces, our Staffmark team understands the value of vigilance. Right now, we have three reminders for employers who take safety and compliance as seriously as we do.
1. Missed the OSHA ITA Deadline? Don't Just Walk Away.
The March 2, 2026, deadline for electronic submission of your 2025 injury and illness data has passed. If you made it, great. If you didn’t, it’s worth knowing that your obligation doesn’t end with the deadline.
OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) continues to accept late submissions through December 31. OSHA has also published an ITA Non-Responder Enforcement Program, which means late filers are on their radar. The advisable path is to file as soon as possible.
If you missed it, here’s a straightforward path forward:
- Verify your coverage first. Use OSHA’s ITA Coverage Application at osha.gov to confirm whether your establishment was actually required to submit. Requirements are based on establishment size and industry, not company-wide headcount. This is an important distinction for multi-site employers.
- 250+ employees at any time in 2025? Submit Form 300A.
- 20 to 249 employees in a designated industry? Submit Form 300A.
- 100+ employees in a designated high-hazard industry? Submit Forms 300A, 300, and 301.
- Review your records before you submit. Check your OSHA 300 Log, 300A Summary, and 301 Incident Reports for accuracy. Common issues include miscategorized cases, missing EIN, and incorrectly separated establishments.
- Submit through the ITA portal only. Go directly to osha.gov/injuryreporting and submit electronically. Do not mail it or email it to OSHA.
- Already submitted but need to make corrections? The ITA allows edits to previously submitted 2025 data through December 31, 2026. Log in, find your establishment, click “Edit 300A Summary,” and resubmit.
Finally, consider building ITA submission into your Q1 calendar now, rather than scrambling next February. It is a small process change that makes a meaningful difference.
2. Heat Is Coming (or Already Here for Many). Stay Cool.
OSHA’s Heat National Emphasis Program (NEP), which covers both indoor and outdoor workplaces, is currently in effect through April 8, 2026. Manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution are directly in its scope.
That means OSHA can conduct unannounced inspections on days when the heat index hits 80°F or when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory. And it is not just outdoor exposure on the radar. Indoor environments like warehouses, distribution centers, and non-climate-controlled production floors are an increasing enforcement focus. If your workers are sweating through a shift inside your building, that matters to OSHA.
The proposed federal Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard has not been finalized, but OSHA is actively citing heat hazards under the General Duty Clause. You do not need a final rule to get cited. You just need an inspector and a hot day.
Spring is the time to get ahead of this. Here is your checklist:
Written heat illness prevention program. Do you have one? Is it current? Can your supervisors find it in under two minutes?
Water, shade, and rest. Cool drinking water should be accessible and shaded or climate-controlled rest areas available. This is table stakes.
Acclimatization plan. Critical for new hires and workers returning from extended leave. The body needs time to adjust. OSHA inspectors look for this specifically.
Do not rely solely on OSHA 10/30. Run a focused spring session on your company’s specific heat plan, site controls, and emergency response steps.
Emergency response protocol. If someone shows symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, does your team know exactly what to do? Who calls 911? Who stays with the worker?
Monitor the forecast. Assign someone to check the heat index daily during warm months and trigger your heat protocols accordingly.
State employers: Check your local rules. California, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington all have their own heat safety standards with specific requirements. Virginia’s rule takes effect May 1, 2026. Arizona is enforcing new task force recommendations before summer. If you operate in multiple states, one policy may not cover all your obligations.
Heat illness is fast, serious, and largely preventable. The employers who get cited are not usually the ones who ignored the issue. They are often the ones who meant to update their plan and ran out of time.
3. OSHA Inspections: Prepare Like They're in the Parking Lot
OSHA inspections happen without notice. That is by design. But being unprepared does not have to be.
The workplaces that handle inspections best are not the ones with perfect records. They are the ones with solid systems and a confident, prepared posture. Here is what that looks like:
Before an inspector arrives (which could be any day):
- Designate a point of contact. Every employee should know: if an OSHA inspector shows up, here is the person you call immediately. Not your supervisor’s supervisor. One person. One call.
- Get your paperwork in order. Your OSHA 300, 300A, and 301 logs should be organized and accessible. So should your written safety programs, training records, and equipment inspection logs. If you have to hunt for them during an inspection, that is not a great look.
- Walk your floor with fresh eyes. Address visible hazards regularly, not just when you know someone is coming.
When an inspector arrives:
- Verify credentials. Always. OSHA inspectors carry official ID. Ask to see it.
- Escort at all times. Never let an inspector walk your facility alone. Designate who goes with them and who handles internal communications.
- Respond with confidence and consistency. Brief key stakeholders immediately. Answers should be factual, coordinated, and composed. A well-prepared team does not need to scramble. They just need to follow the process they have already established.
- Provide only what is requested. Track everything you hand over and confirm timelines on any follow-up items.
After the inspection:
- Debrief internally. What did you learn? What would you do differently? Document it.
- Address any issues identified. Even if they do not result in a citation, use findings as a roadmap for improvement.
The goal is not to pass an inspection, but to build and run a workplace you would be comfortable having an inspector walk through on any given day.
The Bottom Line
Spring is a great time to refresh and renew safety and compliance best practices, before volume peaks and before a small issue becomes a costly problem. Whether it is filing your ITA data, updating your heat illness program, or tightening your inspection readiness, the focus you invest now pays off all year long.
Have questions about workforce safety, compliance, or how to build a stronger safety culture on your floor? Connect with Staffmark anytime. We are here year-round to support your team, whatever the season brings.
About Jesus Arredondo:
Jesus Arredondo is Director of Safety for the West Coast Region at Staffmark, with over 20 years of experience in safety leadership and a proven track record in workplace safety excellence.
