OSHA IDENTIFIES 13,000 WORKPLACES WITH HIGHEST INJURY AND ILLNESS RATES

TRADE NEWS RELEASE
Monday, February 25, 2002
Contact: Bill Wright
Phone: (202) 693-1999

WASHINGTON -- Approximately 13,000 employers have been notified that injury and
illness rates at their worksites are higher than average and that assistance is available to
help them fix safety and health hazards, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration announced today.

Establishments with the nation's highest lost workday injury and illness rates were
identified by OSHA through employer-reported data from a 2001 survey of 80,000
worksites (the survey consisted of data from calendar year 2000). The workplaces
identified had eight or more injuries or illnesses resulting in lost work days or restricted
activity for every 100 full-time workers; the national average is three instances for the
same number of workers. 

"This identification process is a proactive tool to raise awareness that injuries and
illnesses are high at these facilities," OSHA Administrator John L. Henshaw said. "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 offer assistance to
businesses so that they address the hazards and reduce occupational injuries and
illnesses."

Henshaw sent letters to all employers identified in the survey, and provided copies of
their injury and illness data, along with a list of the most frequently violated OSHA
standard for their specific industry. While he expressed concern about the high rates,
Henshaw also offered the agency's assistance in helping turn the numbers around.
Assistance could come from OSHA's on-site consultation program designed to address
safety and health issues, the state's workers' compensation agencies, insurance carriers,
safety and health consultants, or other internal or external resources which can focus on
hazard identification and control.

The 13,000 sites are listed alphabetically, by state, on OSHA's web site at:
http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/foia/hot_8.html The list does not designate those
earmarked for any future inspections. An announcement of targeted inspections will be
made later this year.
(NOTE: A list of the industry groups included in the OSHA 2001 Data Initiative follows this
release.

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This news release text is on the Internet World Wide Web at http://www.osha.gov.
Information on this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon
request. Voice phone: (202) 693-1999.



The Standard Industrial Classification codes
for the 80,000 establishments covered in the OSHA 2001 survey



20-39 Manufacturing 
018 Horticultural Specialties 
021 Livestock (except Dairy and Poultry) 
025 Poultry and Eggs 
027 Animal Specialties 
0291 General Farms, primarily animal 
0783 Ornamental Shrub and Tree Services 
421 Trucking and Courier Services (except Air) 
422 Public Warehousing and Storage 
423 Trucking Terminal Facilities 
4311 U.S. Postal Service 
449 Water Transportation Services 
451 Air Transportation, Scheduled 
458 Airports, Flying Fields, and Services 
4783 Packing and Crating 
4953 Refuse Systems 
503 Lumber and Other Construction Materials 
505 Meals and Minerals (except Petroleum) 
5093 Scrap and Waste Materials 
514 Groceries and Related Products 
518 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Beverages 
5211 Lumber and Other Building Materials 
5311 Department Stores 
805 Nursing and Personal Care Facilities 
806 Hospitals