OSHA Sends 14,000 Letters to High Injury, Illness Rate Employers
OSHA chief Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. recently announced that he has notified 14,000 employers nationwide that their injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average.
In a letter sent this month to those employers, Foulke explained that the notification was a proactive step to encourage employers to take action now to reduce rates and improve safety and health conditions in their workplaces.
"A high injury and illness rate is costly to employees and employers in both personal and financial terms," Foulke said. "Our goal is to make them aware of their high injury and illness rates and to get them to focus on eliminating hazards in their workplace. To help them in this regard, OSHA offers free assistance programs to help employers better protect the safety and health of their employees."
OSHA identified businesses with the nation's highest rates of workplace injuries and illnesses through employer-reported data from a 2007 survey of 80,000 worksites (this survey collected injury and illness data from calendar year 2006). Workplaces receiving notifications had 5.4 or more injuries resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer (DART) for every 100 full-time employees. Nationally, the average U.S. workplace had 2.3 DART occurrences for every 100 employees.
Employers receiving the letters were also provided copies of their injury and illness data, along with a list of the most frequently cited OSHA standards for their specific industry. The letter also offered assistance in helping turn the numbers around by suggesting, among other things, the use of free OSHA safety and health consultation services provided through the states, state workers' compensation agencies, insurance carriers, or outside safety and health consultants.
For more information, visit www.osha.gov.