RICK KALETSKY, SAFETY CONSULTANT
Assisting to Reduce Risk, Loss, Financial Burden,
Legal Jeopardy, Human Suffering
123 Cheshire Road
Bethany, CT 06524-3113
Telephone: (203) 393-1233 (voice/fax)
Email: RKaletsky@gmail.com
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PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Richard Kaletsky, dba “Rick Kaletsky, Safety Consultant,” specializes in hazard recognition and abatement,
site inspection, accident investigation, and citation resolution. As a self-employed safety consultant since
1992, Rick has conducted a wealth of OSHA-type, “hands-on” comprehensive inspections and training
sessions, with the emphasis on manufacturing and other “factory” facilities. He also consults for construction
firms (especially roofers), retail stores, and other types of businesses. Rick is often hired by attorneys to
work as an “expert witness.” As such, he has testified more than fifty times (in court, by deposition, and at
arbitration), and consulted on many other cases that did not require his testimony. Although Rick usually
deals with occupational safety, he has worked on several non-occupational “fall down” cases. His work is
primarily in the northeast, but he has also conducted his business in California, Texas, Wisconsin, Georgia,
West Virginia, Illinois, Oregon, Oklahoma, Florida, and several other states, as well as in Belgium and
Switzerland. His areas of high knowledge include various types of safety hazards encountered in the
workplace, with major concentrations including machine safeguarding and emergency egress. He is often
called upon to explain OSHA policies and procedures, and how to prepare for and respond to OSHA
inspections, complaints, and citations. He is eager to discuss the mitigation, control, and elimination of
hazards, as well as other means to improve the level of employee protection, even where OSHA compliance
may have been achieved. This “added value” includes means and methods (at times creative) of training and
motivating employees.
Prior to founding his firm in 1992, he worked for USDOL/OSHA for 20 years, serving as a compliance
safety and health officer (safety specialist category), supervisory safety specialist, and assistant area director,
in Connecticut. He frequently served as acting area director, as well. While with OSHA, Rick conducted
hundreds of “walkaround” compliance inspections (and reviewed thousands), and successfully negotiated
hundreds of settlement agreements with employers. He crafted dozens of inspection warrant applications,
and secured the warrants from U. S. magistrates. Further, he investigated dozens of OSHA-related antidiscrimination cases. At the regional level, he evaluated VPP (Voluntary Protection Programs) applications.
Immediately prior to his employment with USDOL/OSHA, Rick was the Safety Director and Assistant
Personnel Manager for Ross & Roberts Inc., a Stratford, Connecticut vinyl manufacturing plant. At the time,
Ross & Roberts employed approximately 375 persons, with most of the employees being represented by the
United Rubber Workers.
Rick served as an advisory panel member for Aspen Publishers, as well as for Business & Legal Reports. He
is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (past chapter vice president), the Connecticut
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Safety Society (past program committee chairman), the National Safety Council, and the Connecticut
Council on Occupational Safety and Health.
In 2005, Rick attended a New York City Department of Buildings hearing, at which he presented oral and
written comments. The subject of the hearing was the proposed promulgation of Reference Standard RS 6-1
and RS 6-1A, in relation to Photoluminescent Exit Path Markings. The purpose of RS 6-1 and RS 6-1A was
to establish technical standards for the installation of photoluminescent building signs, in compliance with
Local Law 26 of 2004. As a result of Rick’s detailed comments, specific changes were made to the final
version of this landmark standard.
He is the sole lecturer and “inspector” in two videotapes: “Employee Safety: Protecting Yourself and Your
Fellow Workers” (produced by Wausau Insurance & the Metal Treating Institute, 2 hrs 40 minutes), and
“Walk-Thru Safety Inspection: Through the Eyes of an OSHA Compliance Officer” (produced by Business
& Legal Reports, 2002, 44 minutes, also available in DVD). More than 350 of his articles, columns, and
Q&As have been published in magazines and newsletters. Examples of the publications include Safety
Compliance Letter (Bureau of Business Practice, Aspen Publishers), Occupational Hazards magazine,
Occupational Health & Safety magazine, Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, OSHA Up To Date (newsletter
of the National Safety Council), and special supplements of Business & Legal Reports.
Rick has taught occupational safety and health at the undergraduate level (U. of New Haven, Mitchell
College, Housatonic Community College) and the graduate level (U. of New Haven). He has also been a
faculty member of the National Business Institute, the Institute of Business Law, and the Council on
Education in Management.
He has given approximately 300 presentations (as OSHA employee and as self-employed safety consultant)
to schools, labor, corporations, management, associations, insurance groups, and miscellaneous
organizations. One of these presentations was a very well attended National Safety Council Webinar. He has
been interviewed on television, and quoted (aside from the publication of his articles) in Safety + Health
magazine (several times), Occupational Hazards magazine (several times), a publication of the Architectural
Woodwork Institute (extensively), Logistics Management, Catalog Age magazine, Forging magazine, and
ADA Compliance Guide.
Rick is the author of “OSHA Inspections: Preparation and Response” (now in 2nd edition, 2012, after 11
printings of 1st edition), published by the National Safety Council, hard cover, 450 pages). The book is the
definitive, step-by-step guide to the entire OSHA process. Rick’s special insider's insight guarantees an
accurate, complete treatment of the subject, as well as a unique perspective on dealing with the Agency. The
book offers an in-depth examination (punctuated with creative ideas) of every essential element of
comprehensive occupational safety and health programs, and how to develop and effectively implement
them. It explains in extraordinary detail (yet easy-to-read style, with a dash of humor) how to proactively
prepare for an OSHA site inspection, what to say and do (and NOT to say and do) during such an inspection,
and how to respond and present defenses in the event of a citation.
“OSHA Inspections: Preparation and Response” has received exceptional praise from the American Society
of Safety Engineers (Professional Safety magazine, The Advisor newsletter), the American Industrial
Hygiene Association (AIHA Journal), corporations and safety directors (Unilever, LEGO Systems, Bic,
Bayer, Lockheed Martin, Home Depot, Bristol-Myers, Gilbane, Turner, Skanska USA, Bodycote),
consultants, academia (used as a course text in several colleges), the insurance industry (Travelers, Alea
North America), attorneys (Wiggin & Dana, Cummings & Lockwood, former USDOL solicitors, the
Chairman and former Chief Counsel of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission), and
former USDOL/OSHA officials.
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