Occupational Safety & Health Administration's Site Specific Targeting 2002 Inspection Plan

On April 15, 2002, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") announced its Site Specific Targeting 2002 ("SST-2002") Program. Under the Program OSHA will inspect 3000 worksites that reported high injury and illness rates for the year 2000. Employers who reported 14 or more injuries or illnesses resulting in lost work days or restricted activity for every 100 employees should anticipate comprehensive, wall-to-wall safety and health inspections in the next year. Employers who reported an injury and illness rate of more than eight, but less than 14, may be inspected as well.

In determining which worksites to inspect OSHA will utilize information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2001 Data Initiative (collecting data for calendar year 2000) to find those employers reporting a Lost Workday Injury and Illness ("LWDII") rate of 14.0 or higher. This criteria is expected to result in the inspection of 3,000 worksites nationwide. This represents a significant decrease in the inspection program's primary list from last year's approximately 4,000 worksites with an LWDII rate of 14.0 or higher. In addition, establishments with an LWDII rate of 14.0 or higher which were inspected under the SST-2000 or SST-2001 program will not be reinspected this year. Therefore, it is likely that many OSHA Area Offices will complete their 14.0 inspections and move to 8.0 inspections in the near future. Worksites with an LWDII rate above 8.0 received a February 25, 2002, letter from OSHA notifying them they were in this category but omitting the fact that they would be inspected under this program.

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