Updated OSHA Program to Target Workplaces With High Injury Rates

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will be updating its inspection program that directs enforcement resources to establishment with high rates of injuries and illnesses.

OSHA’s Site-Specific Targeting (SST) Directive will be the primary target program for non-construction establishments with 20 or more employees. These establishments are selected based on injury and illness data employers submitted from 2017-2019 on Form 300A.

The new directive will replace Site-Specific Targeting 2016, and will include a variety of significant changes including:

• Creation of a new targeting category for establishments indicating that consistent injury and illness rate increases over the three-year data collection period
• Occurrence of records-only inspections when a compliance safety and health officer determines incorrect data led to an establishment’s inclusion in the program.
  
  

OSHA will also implement national and local emphasis programs to target high-risk hazards and industries.