details on alleged safety and health hazards. The 

employer must respond in writing within five 

working days, identifying any problems found 

and noting corrective actions taken or planned. If 

the response is adequate and the complainant is 

satisfied with the response, OSHA generally will not 

conduct an on-site inspection.

On-Site Inspections

Preparation—Before conducting an inspection, 

OSHA compliance officers research the inspection 

history of a worksite using various data sources, 

review the operations and processes in use and the 

standards most likely to apply. They gather appropriate personal protective equipment and testing 

instruments to measure potential hazards.

Presentation of credentials—The on-site inspection 

begins with the presentation of the compliance 

officer’s credentials, which include both a photograph 

and a serial number. 

Opening Conference—The compliance officer will 

explain why OSHA selected the workplace for 

inspection and describe the scope of the inspection, 

walkaround procedures, employee representation 

and employee interviews. The employer then selects 

a representative to accompany the compliance 

officer during the inspection. An authorized 

representative of the employees, if any, also has the 

right to accompany an inspector. The compliance 

officer will consult privately with a reasonable 

number of employees during the inspection.

Walkaround—Following the opening conference, the 

compliance officer and the representatives will walk 

through the portions of the workplace covered by the 

inspection, inspecting for hazards that could lead to 

employee injury or illness. The compliance officer will 

also review worksite injury and illness records and 

the posting of the official OSHA poster. 

Inspection Priorities

OSHA has jurisdiction over approximately 7 million 

worksites. The agency seeks to focus its inspection 

resources on the most hazardous workplaces in the 

following order of priority: 

1. Imminent danger situations—hazards that could 

cause death or serious physical harm receive top 

priority. Compliance officers will ask employers 

to correct these hazards immediately or remove 

endangered employees.

2. Severe injuries and illnesses—employers 

must report:

• All work-related fatalities within 8 hours.

• All work-related inpatient hospitalizations, 

amputations, or losses of an eye within 24 hours.

3. Worker Complaints—allegations of hazards or 

violations also receive a high priority. Employees 

may request anonymity when they file complaints.

4. Referrals of hazards from other federal, state or 

local agencies, individuals, organizations or the 

media receive consideration for inspection.

5. Targeted inspections—inspections aimed 

at specific high-hazard industries or individual 

workplaces that have experienced high rates of 

injuries and illnesses also receive priority.

6. Follow-up inspections—checks for abatement of 

violations cited during previous inspections are also 

conducted by the agency in certain circumstances.

Phone/Fax Investigations

OSHA carefully prioritizes all complaints it receives 

based on their severity. For lower-priority hazards, 

with permission of a complainant, OSHA may 

telephone the employer to describe safety and 

health concerns, following up with a fax providing 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) Inspections

OSHA is committed to strong, fair, and effective enforcement of safety and health 

requirements in the workplace. OSHA inspectors, called compliance safety and health 

officers, are experienced, well-trained industrial hygienists and safety professionals whose 

goal is to assure compliance with OSHA requirements and help employers and workers 

reduce on-the-job hazards and prevent injuries, illnesses, and deaths in the workplace. 

Normally, OSHA conducts inspections without advance notice. Employers have the right 

to require compliance officers to obtain an inspection warrant before entering the worksite.

FactSheet
During the walkaround, compliance officers may 

point out some apparent violations that can be 

corrected immediately. While the law requires 

that these hazards must still be cited, prompt 

correction is a sign of good faith on the part of the 

employer. Compliance officers try to minimize work 

interruptions during the inspection and will keep 

confidential any trade secrets observed.

Closing Conference—After the walkaround, the 

compliance officer holds a closing conference with 

the employer and the employee representatives to 

discuss the findings. The compliance officer discusses 

possible courses of action an employer may take 

following an inspection, which could include an 

informal conference with OSHA or contesting citations 

and proposed penalties. The compliance officer also 

discusses consultation services and employee rights.

Results

When an inspector finds violations of OSHA 

standards or serious hazards, OSHA may issue 

citations and fines. OSHA must issue a citation 

and proposed penalty within six months of the 

violation’s occurrence. Citations describe OSHA 

requirements allegedly violated, list any proposed 

penalties, and give a deadline for correcting the 

alleged hazards. Violations are categorized as 

willful, serious, other-than-serious, de minimis, 

failure to abate, and repeated. In settling a penalty, 

OSHA has a policy of reducing penalties for small 

employers and those acting in good faith. For 

serious violations, OSHA may also reduce the 

proposed penalty based on the gravity of the 

alleged violation. No good faith adjustment will be 

made for alleged willful violations. For information 

on penalty ranges, see www.osha.gov/penalties.

Appeals

When OSHA issues a citation to an employer, it also 

offers the employer an opportunity for an informal 

conference with the OSHA Area Director to discuss 

citations, penalties, abatement dates, or any other 

information pertinent to the inspection. The agency 

and the employer may work out a settlement 

agreement to resolve the matter and to eliminate the 

hazard. OSHA’s primary goal is correcting hazards 

and maintaining compliance rather than issuing 

citations or collecting penalties.

Alternatively, employers have 15 working days 

after receipt of citations and proposed penalties 

to formally contest the alleged violations and/

or penalties by sending a written notice to the 

Area Director. OSHA forwards the contest to the 

Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission 

for independent review. Alternatively, citations, 

penalties, and abatement dates that are not 

challenged by the employer or settled become a 

final order of the Occupational Safety and Health 

Review Commission.

Workers’ Rights

Workers have the right to:

• Working conditions that do not pose a risk of 

serious harm.

• Receive information and training (in a language 

and vocabulary the worker understands) about 

workplace hazards, methods to prevent them, and 

the OSHA standards that apply to their workplace.

• Review records of work-related injuries 

and illnesses.

• File a complaint asking OSHA to inspect their 

workplace if they believe there is a serious hazard 

or that their employer is not following OSHA’s 

rules. OSHA will keep all identities confidential.

• Exercise their rights under the law without 

retaliation, including reporting an injury or 

raising health and safety concerns with their 

employer or OSHA. If a worker has been 

retaliated against for using their rights, they 

must file a complaint with OSHA as soon as 

possible, but no later than 30 days.

For additional information, see OSHA’s Workers’ 

page (www.osha.gov/workers).

How to Contact OSHA

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 

of 1970, employers are responsible for providing 

safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. 

OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for 

America’s working men and women by setting 

and enforcing standards, and providing training, 

education and assistance. For more information, 

visit www.osha.gov or call OSHA at 1-800-321-

OSHA (6742), TTY 1-877-889-5627.

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or standards. 

It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of compliance 

requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 

This information will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals upon request. The voice phone 

is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

DEP FS-3783 08/2016