OSHA Is Pleased To Announce Its
Standards For Public Service.

EMPLOYEES CAN EXPECT OSHA TO. . .

Ensure Their Participation in Inspections

Under the OSH Act, employees have the right to accompany compliance officers and to participate in interviews during the course of the inspection. Survey results show that 75 percent of employers believe that employee participation contributes to the thoroughness of an inspection; focus group discussions with workers indicated that employee participation is necessary for a good inspection---one that results in improved safety and health at the workplace. However, many of these same employees indicated that certain aspects of OSHA's inspections, such as the difficulty in ensuring confidentiality of interviews, discouraged them from participating.

Eighty-four percent of employers surveyed reported that an employee representative had accompanied the OSHA inspector on the inspection. OSHA will work to increase employee involvement in inspections through increased participation in the walkaround phase as well as in closing conferences and informal settlement discussions. OSHA also will work with its partners in labor and management to increase employee participation in the free onsite consultation services offered to small business employers upon request.

Respond in a Timely Fashion to Requests for Inspections of Hazards at Their Workplaces

The OSH Act guarantees employees the right to file confidential complaints and request inspections of hazards on their jobs.

OSHA currently schedules inspections, on average, within 18 days of an employee's complaint of a serious hazard and 26 days of an other-than-serious hazard. By focusing enforcement resources on the most serious problems, and also streamlining procedures and policies for handling employee complaints, we will reduce the average response time.

Investigate Charges of Employer Discrimination

Employers may not discriminate against workers for exercising their safety and health rights, including the right to participate in inspections and the right to request an inspection of hazards at their workplace. The OSH Act allows an employee 30 days in which to file a discrimination complaint.

Last year, employees nationwide filed more than 6,000 complaints. In the recent survey, a number of employees reported that the worker filing a request for the inspection suffered unfair treatment following the inspection; some even lost their jobs.

OSHA's policy is to begin a discrimination investigation as soon as possible after a complaint is filed, and to complete the case within 90 days of when an employee reports unfair treatment. Right now in many areas OSHA's response time is much longer than that. Our intent is to complete discrimination cases within the 90-day period.

EMPLOYERS CAN EXPECT OSHA TO. . .

Focus OSHA Inspections on the Most Serious Hazards

Employers and employees have expressed concern that OSHA does not concentrate its inspections on the worst hazards in the most dangerous workplaces. OSHA will pilot test a new inspection targeting system that uses injury and illness records of individual workplaces to ensure that compliance officers go where they are most likely to find serious, preventable hazards.

We will work with our partners in labor and management to design programs that encourage worksite efforts to find and fix hazards. Inspections and enforcement policies related to specific hazards may be modified to take into account these good-faith, voluntary efforts.

In construction---one of the most dangerous industries--- OSHA will modify its approach to inspections to focus on the four problems associated with the greatest number of fatalities and serious injuries: fall hazards, electrocutions, trenching, and "struck-by" hazards. A similar focus program is being considered for general industry inspections.

Be Respectful and Professional During Inspections

As a law-enforcement agency we have an obligation to be objective, consistent and fair in administering our regulations. More than that, all members of the public are entitled to evenhanded consideration, including those who violate the law.

Results from the OSHA survey indicate that 75 percent of employers who experienced an OSHA inspection reported that the OSHA inspector remained neutral and objective throughout the inspection and demonstrated a high degree of professionalism.

OSHA will provide training for front line staff who deal with employers and employees during the inspection process, with the aim of increasing to 100 percent the number who report professional and objective treatment during inspections.

Help Them Identify and Control Workplace Hazards

OSHA has been successful when it works with employers and employees to identify and control hazards outside of the inspection process. However, the results of the OSHA survey indicated that only about 50 percent of employers were aware before the inspection that OSHA offices can provide technical assistance materials and that free, no- penalty consultation visits are available through state government.

OSHA will work to inform more employers and employees of consultation and other outreach programs. We will ensure that all consultants nationwide are trained to assist small, high-hazard businesses establish and maintain effective worksite safety and health programs.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN EXPECT OSHA TO. . .

Provide Better Access to OSHA Information

Survey results show that most employers and employees thought OSHA's inspection of their workplace had a positive impact on safety and health. Inspections were said to be beneficial in pointing out problems or hazards and making employers and employees more aware of the importance of safety and health.

Since less than two percent of workplaces are inspected annually, it is important that OSHA make information readily available to employers and employees who are not inspected. Others in the general public such as students in vocational training, professionals in practice, scientists in academic institutions, and family members of workers also need accurate information on workplace hazards.

OSHA will publish pamphlets and fact sheets about new standards, with a mail-back form for readers to let us know what they think of the publication. More than 80 publications are currently available from OSHA's Publications Office.

We will publicize the availability of "one source information" on OSHA standards from the Government Printing Office in CD-ROM format for a reasonable price (currently $24.95). This data text-retrieval package contains all OSHA standards, compliance directives and standards interpretations. We also will make other information available to the public on line through the Labor News Bulletin Board via Internet.

Expand Training Opportunities for Private Sector Employees

OSHA will expand the network of community colleges and universities approved to offer training programs meeting the criteria of the OSHA Training Institute.

OSHA also will expand its Targeted Training Program which awards grants to labor unions, trade associations and community-based organizations to develop and deliver training to workers and employers in hazard recognition and control.

As a result of this expansion, thousands more private-sector workers will receive high-quality, specialized safety and health training. Thousands more will benefit from an expansion of our train-the-trainer program.