OSHA has also improved training opportunities for its inspection workforce. OSHA’s Targeting Procedures May Not Effectively Identify Hazardous Worksites for Inspection

The targeting processes that OSHA used have not fully ensured that the agency effectively identifies hazardous worksites for priority inspection. OSHA’s Measurement Efforts Have Not Accurately Demonstrated Its Impact

Several weaknesses in OSHA’s measurement efforts affected its ability to accurately demonstrate its impact on workplace safety. Moreover, the methods OSHA used to measure its progress may have misstated its accomplishments. OSHA’s Efforts to Enhance Inspector Quality Have Potential to Improve Enforcement, but Anticipated Outcomes Could Be Jeopardized

OSHA’s initial efforts to enhance inspector quality are encouraging, but the anticipated outcomes could be jeopardized. The second obstacle that may affect OSHA’s long-term success is the lack of a comprehensive database that tracks training or skills obtained by inspectors. Conclusions

OSHA has taken important steps toward targeting its enforcement resources on high-hazard worksites, measuring its impact, and enhancing the professionalism and quality of its personnel. However, OSHA’s enforcement efforts could be strengthened by better information and procedures that would make targeting efforts more efficient, measurement more precise, and training efforts more effective. OSHA, as the federal agency responsible for overall workplace safety and health, understandably has an interest in tracking national trends in workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Recommendations for Executive Action

To better ensure that OSHA gets the greatest benefit out of its targeting programs, we recommend that the Secretary of Labor direct OSHA to   encourage area offices to supplement inspections of large construction worksites with locally planned efforts to inspect smaller worksites,   strengthen the validity of the data used to identify worksites in the site-specific targeting program by addressing the data weaknesses identified in this report, and   assess the site-specific targeting program’s impact on workplace injuries and illnesses in light of the resources expended. Appendix II: Comments from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration

The following are GAO’s comments on the OSHA letter dated November 14, 2002.
Why GAO Did This Study

The United States has made great progress in improving working conditions since the construction of the Empire State Building. Yet, since the early 1990s, over 50,000 workers have died from work-related accidents and millions experience work-related injuries or illnesses each year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the primary federal agency responsible for protecting workplace safety and health. GAO was asked to assess how well OSHA was able to target its enforcement resources on hazardous worksites, measure its accomplishments, and ensure inspection staff quality.

What GAO Found

OSHA has taken important steps toward targeting its enforcement resources on hazardous worksites, measure its accomplishments, and enhance the professionalism of its staff. However, these systems could be strengthened by better information and mechanisms that would make targeting efforts more efficient, measurement more precise, and training efforts more effective. OSHA's targeting processes have not fully ensured that it identifies hazardous worksites for priority inspection because its worksite-targeting programs lack the necessary data to effectively identify high-hazard worksites or those with hazards under OSHA's jurisdiction. Also, OSHA's measurement efforts did not accurately demonstrate its impact on workplace safety and health because, for example, it used national data on injuries and illnesses to measure its progress in achieving strategic goals even though only 31 states are covered by these goals. Finally, OSHA's efforts to enhance the quality of its inspection workforce have the potential to improve enforcement, but the anticipated outcomes could be jeopardized by a lack of necessary mechanisms, such as a training directive that reflects current plans, or a comprehensive database that tracks training or skills obtained by inspection staff.