OSHA Targets Inspections

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced today that it has identified 4,150 high-hazard work sites to focus inspections on in the coming year as part of its Site-Specific Targeting program. The locations were chosen based on data collected from about 80,000 employers on their injury and illness numbers."This approach allows us to focus our enforcement efforts on those workplaces with the highest numbers of injuries and illnesses," said OSHA chief Edwin G. Foulke Jr.

But doesn't it also provide an incentive for employers to underreport their numbers to avoid OSHA inspections? The agency says it's on to that scam, saying it also will "randomly select and inspect approximately 100 workplaces (with 100 or more employees) nationwide that reported low injury and illness rates for the purpose of reviewing the actual degree of compliance with OSHA requirements."