If your worksite is one of the approximately 13,000 with higher-than-average injury and illness rates, than it has likely been notified by OSHA and told that help is available to fix its safety and health hazards.

OSHA has identified establishments with the nation's highest lost-workday injury and illness rates through employer-reported data from a 2001 survey of 80,000 worksites (consisting of data from calendar year 2000). The workplaces identified had eight or more injuries or illnesses resulting in lost workdays or restricted activity for every 100 full-time workers. The national average is three instances for the same number of workers.

OSHA Administrator John L. Henshaw stresses the agency's goal is "to offer assistance to businesses so that they address the hazards and reduce occupational injuries and illnesses." OSHA sent letters in February to all employers identified in the survey and provided copies of their injury and illness data, along with a list of the most frequently violated OSHA standard for their specific industry.

Henshaw noted that assistance could come from a variety of sources, including:

• OSHA's on-site consultation program designed to address safety and health issues;
• the state's workers' compensation agencies;
• insurance carriers;
• safety and health consultants; or
• other internal or external resources that can focus on hazard identification and control.

The 13,000 sites are listed alphabetically, by state, on OSHA's Web site at: http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/foia/hot_8.html.