OSHA makes changes to targeted workplace inspection program

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has updated its inspection program to target workplaces with the highest rates of injuries and illnesses, the agency announced Wednesday.

OSHA has replaced its 2016 Site-Specific Targeting (SST) directive —a program for investigating non-construction establishments with 20 or more employees based on submitted injury and illness data — and created a new targeting category for establishments with consistent injury and illness rate increases over a three-year data collection period.

The new directive will also allow for records-only inspections to occur when a safety and health compliance officer determines that incorrect data led to the company’s inclusion in the SST program. This change, OSHA said, will ensure that full inspections are only conducted when the employer has an actual elevated injury and illness experience.