OSHA Targets High-Hazard Worksites for Inspection

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its annual inspection plan under the Site-Specific Targeting 2010 (SST-10) program in August to help the agency direct enforcement resources to high-hazard workplaces where the highest rates of injuries and illnesses occur.

The SST program is OSHA’s main programmed inspection plan for non-construction workplaces that have 40 or more workers. This inspection plan is based on work-related injury and illness data collected from a 2009 OSHA Data Initiative survey from 80,000 larger establishments in selected high-hazard industries. Establishments are randomly selected for inspection from an initial list of 4,100 manufacturing, non-manufacturing, and nursing and personal care facilities. The plan focuses on several variables such as the number of injury and illness cases and number of days a worker has to stay away from work, or the number of workers who received job transfers or work restrictions due to injury or illness.

“Our goal is to prevent worker injuries and illnesses and save lives,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels. “The Site Specific Targeting program helps OSHA focus its enforcement resources to high-risk employers who are endangering their workers’ health and safety.”

In addition to SST, OSHA implements both national and local emphasis inspection programs to target high-risk hazards and industries. OSHA currently has 13 National Emphasis Programs that intensify the focus on topics including amputations, lead, crystalline silica, shipbreaking, trenching/excavations, petroleum refinery process safety management, process safety management covered chemical facilities, hexavalent chromium, diacetyl, recordkeeping, combustible dust, federal agency targeting inspection and FAA air traffic control tower monitoring.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.