The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released its annual enforcement statistics report. 

In FY 2007, OSHA conducted 39,324 total inspections, a 4.3 percent increase over its stated goal of 37,700. Total violations of OSHA's standards and regulations were 88,846, a 6 percent increase from Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. The agency cited 67,176 serious violations, a 9 percent increase from the previous year and a more than 12 percent increase over the past four years. The number of cited repeat violations also rose from 2,551 in FY 2006 to 2,714 in FY 2007.

"The fact that OSHA surpassed its inspection goal for FY 2007 proves our enforcement commitment remains strong," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "The significant increase in citations for serious and repeat violations documents OSHA's focus on identifying and eliminating severe hazards in the workplace."

Fatality and injury and illness rates have continued to decline to record lows. The injury and illness incidence rate of 4.4 per 100 employees for calendar year (CY) 2006 was the lowest that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has ever recorded. Workplace fatality rates hit an all-time low in CY 2006 with 3.9 fatalities per 100,000 employees.

The agency operates Local Emphasis Programs (LEPs) that are enforcement strategies designed and implemented at the Regional Office and/or Area Office levels. Nationwide, there are over 150 individual programs (sometimes implemented by multiple offices) that address a wide range of industries and hazards.

OSHA also operates an Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP) that targets employers who, despite OSHA's enforcement and outreach efforts, repeatedly ignore their OSH Act obligations and place their employees at risk. The EEP focuses on cases with extremely serious violations related either to a fatality or to multiple willful or repeated violations. If an inspection is classified as an EEP case, then it may receive, among other things, follow-up inspections, inspections of other workplaces of that employer, and more stringent settlement provisions.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to help protect the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

OSHA’s annual enforcement statistics report is at:

http://www.osha.gov/dep/enforcement/enforcement_results_07.html

Go here for a press release on this subject:

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=14883