Today's Safety News

OSHA wants to improve inspection targeting

OSHA is seeking public comment until July 6, 2004, on its Site-Specific Targeting (SST) inspection program. The agency wants to determine more accurately how the program is accomplishing its goal of targeting the nationâ€™s most dangerous workplaces for inspection.

First implemented in 1999, the SST program uses data from the OSHA Data Initiative survey to focus OSHA resources on outreach, consultations, technical assistance and target workplaces that have reported high injury and illness rates. Sites selected under the SST program receive both a comprehensive safety and a comprehensive health inspection.

Specifically, OSHA is seeking comments on the following questions:

Are the LWDII/DART rate and the DAFWII case rate appropriate measurement tools for the SST?

Should OSHA consider other measures for injuries and illnesses at individual establishments? If yes, what measures should be considered?

Should OSHA be looking at injury and illness data over multiple years rather than in a single year?

Should an establishmentâ€™s priority for inspection take into account whether the establishment is in an industry with a high rate or a low rate of citations?

Should the SST include additional focuses such as specific industries, or past citation history?

Are there particular areas/hazards OSHA should be focusing its enforcement efforts on?

Written comments on OSHA's SST inspection program must be submitted in duplicate to the Docket Officer, Docket C-08, Room N2625, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, (202) 693-2350. Comments limited to ten pages or fewer may also be transmitted by fax to (202) 693-2350. Comments of ten pages or fewer may be faxed to the Docket Office at (202) 693-1648, provided that the original and one copy are sent to the Docket Office immediately thereafter. Electronic comments may be submitted to: http://ecomments.osha.gov/

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