OSHA Variances: How to Request and Maintain a Variance

Variance is a regulatory program designed by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) that permits an employer to deviate from the safety requirements as designed by the OSHA standards under specific conditions which are dictated by the OSHA. Variance can be parents or tempura, and this will depend on the safety of the situation. "A variance does not provide an outright exemption from a standard, except in cases involving national defense as described below. Sections 6 and 16 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act), and the implementing rules contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR 1905 and 1904.38) authorized variances from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards." The purpose of both variances is to allow an employer or employees under a specific condition to skip some safety requirements which are stated by the OSHA laws. This program is critical for both employees and employers. It allows employers to skip the safety requirements where they believe that they may not be able to fully comply with the OSHA requirements due to time, personnel shortages, or the shortage of materials. In such cases, the employer is permitted by OSHA, and this will help them avoid legal issues they could have faced in case they could have deviated from the requirements without informing OSHA authorities ( Reddig, 2015). Also, it gives employers a chance to use other materials which may be cost-effective or are available, but can still protect the workers even better. Such employees are permitted by the variance program to use those materials as long as the materials are safe for the employees and the environment. In this case, it helps the employers use the materials which they can afford as long as they can serve the same purpose and this helps them in saving the cost. Lastly, it helps in protecting the employees. By reporting by applying for a variance program, the employer creates confidence among the employees that their protection is a priority for the employers. This makes them feel protected. 

Reference  

Reddig, Z. W. (2015). WLDG 184.01: OSHA Rules and Compliance. Routledge.