I have found that the companies that do not really ‘get’ safety and health measure their entire program on the OSHA rate (recordable injuries and illnesses). That is all they care about,” says a former OSHA official.
“If their rate is declining and/or it is lower than their industry average and they have not had a fatality or a serious injury then in their mind all is good and they are managing a good program,” he says. “Safety and health are not an issue unless the rate has risen or there has been an accident or a fatality. Even at the local level many contractors are hired based on having an OSHA rate below the industry average.”