Federal OSHA updated its site-specific targeting (SST) inspection program to use Form 300A injury and illness data that’s more current than what was used in the previous iteration of the program.
OSHA’s previous version of the SST inspection program used Form 300A injury and illness data from calendar years 2017 through 2019 for targeting companies with high injury rates. The updated version will use Form 300A injury and illness data for calendar years 2019 through 2021.
The SST inspection program is OSHA’s main site-specific programmed inspection initiative for non-construction workplaces that have 20 or more employees.
This program uses “objective data from injury and illness information provided by employers” through the annually submitted Form 300A. Employers must submit their Form 300A data before March 2 this year.
The SST program “helps OSHA achieve the goal of ensuring that employers provide safe and healthful workplaces by directing enforcement resources to those workplace with the highest rates of injuries and illnesses.”
In January 2023, OSHA stated that it’s changing its enforcement guidance to “target employers who put profit over safety.”
Specific changes made to the program
Based on OSHA’s past enforcement experience, it made the following changes to its SST inspection program:
- For high-rate establishments, the SST plan selects individual establishments for inspection based on calendar year 2021 Form 300A data. The previous SST used calendar year 2019 data.
- For upward trending establishments, the SST plan selects individual establishments for inspection based on calendar year 2019 through 2021 Form 300A data. The previous SST used calendar year 2017 through 2019 data.
- The low-rate establishments list is generated using calendar year 2021 Form 300A data. The previous SST used calendar year 2019 data.
- The non-responders list is generated using calendar year 2021 data, while the previous SST used calendar year 2019 data.
The new SST inspection program is effective as of Feb. 7, 2023.