Forget all of those "Top 10 Lists." The "Bottom 14,000 List" is much more important.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has named nearly 14,000 employers that have been advised that injury and illness rates at their worksites are higher than average and that assistance is available to correct the problem, should they need it.(For a full list of employers alphabetically by state, click here.)“This identification process is meant to raise awareness that injuries and illnesses are high at these facilities,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. “Injuries and illnesses are costly to employers in both personal and financial terms. Our goal is to identify workplaces where injury and illness rates are high and to persuade employers to use resources at their disposal to address these hazards and reduce occupational injuries and illnesses.”
Letters were sent to employers this month, alerting employers to potential problems and giving them a chance to take proactive steps for prevention. An announcement of targeted inspections will be made later this year.
The list was generated by employer-reported data from a 2006 survey of 80,000 worksites. Letters were sent to those who identified 5.3 or more injuries or illnesses that led to days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer (DART) for every 100 full-time workers. The national 2006 DART average was 2.4 instances per 100 workers.