OSHA Unveils Site-Specific Inspection Plan

OSHA began a new site-specific targeting plan June 16 that the agency says will target about 3,200 high-hazard worksites for unannounced comprehensive safety and health inspections over the coming year.

OSHA has used a site-specific targeting inspection program for five consecutive years based on injury and illness data, but this year's program will result from OSHA's Data Initiative for 2002. The data initiative surveyed about 95,000 employers to attain their injury and illness data for 2001.

According to the agency, the construction industry was included in this survey for the first time but is not included in the site-specific targeting program.

This year's program will initially cover about 3,200 individual worksites that reported 14 or more injuries or illnesses resulting in lost workdays or restricted activity for every 100 full-time workers, which is known as the LWDII rate.

For the first time, sites will also be targeted based on a "Days Away from Work Injury and Illness" rate of nine or higher--nine or more cases that involve days away from work per 100 full-time employees. The average LWDII rate in 2001 for private industry was 2.8; the average DAWII rate was 1.7.

The purpose of the targeted inspection program is to more effectively allocate OSHA's inspection resources to those workplaces of highest safety and health risk.