Oregon food safety officials team with restaurateurs

www.EmploymentCrossing.com Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division plans to offer free on-site safety consultations to the state’s restaurateurs, under an agreement struck with the Oregon Restaurant Association, an industry lobby. Restaurants will not be fined or sanctioned for any violations discovered. The state agency will also produce workplace safety and training materials specifically for the foodservice business. Oregon’s workplace regulatory agency recently struck a similar deal with the construction industry. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has called for more quote –“collaboration”-unquote between watchdog groups and the industries they serve. The Bush administration believes business regulations should be voluntary rather than mandatory. In 2007, Oregon’s OSHD made 229 restaurant inspections, found 508 violations of health and safety rules, and issued fines of more than $43,000.