About 14,000 employers have been notified by OSHA that injury and illness rates at their work sites are higher than average and that assistance is available to help them fix safety and health hazards.

Establishments with the nation's highest workplace injury and illness rates were identified by OSHA through employer-reported data from a 2005 survey of 80,000 work sites (the survey consisted of data from calendar year 2004).

The workplaces identified had 6.0 or more injuries or illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer (DART) for every 100 full-time workers. The national average during 2004 was 2.5 DART instances for every 100 workers.

"This identification process is meant to raise awareness that injuries and illnesses are high at these facilities," said OSHA Administrator Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.