NEWS - Local Breaking News

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration surveys employers to collect workplace injury and illness data it uses to identify employers whose injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average. A letter has been sent to about 15,000 workplaces with the highest numbers of injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activities or job transfers, known as the DART rate.

“Receipt of this letter means that workers in that particular establishment are being injured at a higher rate than in most other businesses of its kind in the country,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “Employers whose businesses have injury and illness rates this high need to take immediate steps to protect their workers.

Local employers “whose injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average” include Great Dane, Savannah /Hilton Head Intl Airport, Imperial Sugar and Lowes.

The following Savannah area companies received letters from OSHA:

Employers receiving the letters also were provided copies of their injury and illness data, along with a list of the most frequently cited OSHA standards for their specific industry. The letter offered assistance in helping to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses by suggesting, among other things, the use of OSHA’s free safety and health consultation services for small businesses provided through the states.

OSHA identified businesses with the nation’s highest rates of workplace injuries and illnesses through employer-reported data from a 2009 survey of about 100,000 worksites. (This survey collected injury and illness data for calendar year 2008.) Workplaces receiving notifications had DART rates more than twice the national average among all U.S. workplaces.

OSHA’s consultation program is available to assist in addressing safety and health in the workplace for employers with 250 or fewer workers. This program is administered by a state agency and operated separately from OSHA’s enforcement program. The service is free and confidential, and there are no fines even if problems are found. Designed for small employers, the consultation program can help an employer identify hazards while finding effective and economical solutions for repairing them. In addition, the OSHA state consultant can assist in developing and implementing a safety and health management system for the workplace.

An entire list of the employers receiving the letter is available on OSHA’s public Web site at: https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/foia/hot_16.html.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees.

The letter read as follows:

“Date

Name of the Employer

Address

Dear_______:

Last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) surveyed employers to collect workplace injury and illness data. The Agency used these data to identify the approximately 15,000 workplaces with the highest Days Away from work, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rates; your workplace was one of those identified. This means workers in your establishment are being injured at a higher rate than in most other businesses in the country.

I am writing you to indicate my concern about the high DART rate at your establishment and to identify ways that you can obtain assistance in addressing hazards in your workplace. OSHA recognizes that your elevated DART rate does not necessarily indicate a lack of interest in safety and health. Whatever the cause, a high rate is costly to your company in both personal and financial terms. In addition, you should be aware that OSHA may target up to 4500 general industry workplaces identified in the survey for inspection in the next year.

Over the years OSHA has found that many employers lack expertise in the field of workplace safety and health and welcome assistance by experts in this field. You may wish to consider hiring an outside safety and health consultant, talking with your insurance carrier, or contacting your state’s workers’ compensation agency for advice. Your workers can help identify hazards and find solutions. In addition, if you have a union at your site, please discuss with them how to reduce hazards in your workplace.

An excellent way for employers with 250 or fewer workers to address safety and health in their workplaces is to ask for assistance from OSHA’s consultation program. This program is administered by a state agency and operated separately from OSHA’s enforcement program. The service is free and confidential, and there are no fines even if problems are found. Designed for small employers, the consultation program can help you identify hazards in your workplace and find effective and economical solutions for eliminating or controlling them. In addition, the OSHA state consultant can assist you in developing and implementing a safety and health management system for your workplace.

In your state, the OSHA consultation program may be contacted at:

Name, Project Manager

Name of Organization

Address - first line

Address - second line

Telephone number

I encourage you to consider these suggestions as well as visit OSHA’s home page at www.osha.gov for information to help you ensure safe and healthful working conditions in your establishment. As it was last year, a list of all the employers receiving this letter will be available from the OSHA home page.

Sincerely,

David Michaels, PhD, MPH

Assistant Secretary”