OSHA Alerts 15,000 Worksites Regarding High Injury Rates, Includes Metalcasting Facilities

Released March 10, 2010

This week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent letters to about 15,000 workplaces—including dozens of metalcasting facilities—alerting them that their injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average.

Employers receiving the letters also were provided copies of their injury and illness data, along with a list of the most frequently cited OSHA standards for their specific industry. The 15,000 companies notified were drawn from a 2009 survey of about 100,000 worksites nationwide in which companies provided injury and illness data for 2008. Workplaces had to have days away from work, restricted work activities or job transfers (DART) rates more than twice the national average among all U.S. workplaces in order to get the letter.

The receipt of such a letter is a strong indication that an OSHA inspection may occur under the Site Specific Targeting (SST) Program. In past years, SST inspections, which are based on high injury and illness rates, led to the inspections of a large number of worksites nationwide. This year OSHA anticipates up to 4,500 inspections of employers identified in the SST Program.

Employers that receive a high injury and illness notification letter should review their injury and illness reporting information and their overall compliance status. Preparatory compliance audits can help identify and correct problems before an inspection. If you need assistance with your safety program, there are several resources that you can turn to:

• AFS Environmental Health & Safety Department
  (contact Fred Kohloff at 847/824-0181 x230
  or fhk@afsinc.org);
• OSHA’s consultation program for employers with 250 or fewer workers by visiting https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/consult.html;
• insurance carriers;
• safety consultants.

To download a list of OSHA's entire database of notified companies, click here.

For more information, contact Stephanie Salmon, Metalcasters Alliance for Government Affairs Washington Office, at ss@wafed.com or 202/842-4864.