OSHA notifies employers of high injury, illness rates

OSHA notified approximately 14,000 employers last week that their injury and illness rates are higher than average and that it will assist them in fixing the hazards.

“Our goal is to identify workplaces where injury and illness rates are high and to offer assistance so they can reduce occupational injuries and illnesses,” said OSHA administrator Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.

OSHA identified the companies through employee reported data from a 2005 survey of 80,000 worksites. The workplaces identified had 6.0 or more injuries resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity or job transfer for every 100 full-time workers. The national average was 2.5 for every 100 workers.

Employees notified by OSHA also received a list of the most frequently violated OSHA standards for their specific industry and were offered the agency’s help in turning the numbers around through free health and safety consultation services provided by OSHA through the states.

The list does not designate those earmarked for any future inspections. An announcement of targeted inspections will be made later this year.

The 14,000 sites are listed alphabetically, by state, on OSHA's web site at: http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/foia/hot_12.html.