OSHA to employers: Be sure you’re not encouraging texting while driving

Texting while driving has been hard to stamp out, and now employers must be careful that they are not doing anything to encourage the practice, lest they be cited by OSHA.

OSHA has issued a warning to employers that they will be considered to be violating the law if they “require texting while driving, or create incentives that encourage or condone it, or they structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their jobs.”

According to OSHA, texting distracts drivers, which can lead to accidents. In 2009, more than 5,400 people died in accidents linked to distraction, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

OSHA violations would be issued under the general duty clause.