We hope to conduct about 4,000 site-specific visits in FY 2001. Targeted inspections, guided by data, allow OSHA to focus its efforts on workplaces with the highest numbers of injuries and the largest numbers of serious hazards. OSHA's cooperative programs depend heavily on reliable statistics. For instance, without the important information provided by employers' records, state consultants would have to rely on direct observations of safety and health hazards present on the day of an on-site consultation visit, in many cases diminishing their ability to make appropriate recommendations. They allow the agency to track the progress of individual employers after an agency intervention and measure the impact of OSHA's programs, as required by the Government Performance and Results Act.
Employers use the information to manage their workplace safety and health programs.
After an employer has taken corrective measures, the records can be used as a management tool to track progress in reducing the number of injuries and illnesses. Workers also need data to participate effectively in safety and health efforts at their workplace. Employees who receive information on workplace injuries and illnesses will be more aware of hazards in their work environment, will be more likely to follow safe work practices, and will be more likely to report workplace hazards. The proposed changes to the recordkeeping rule represent the most comprehensive overhaul of the system since 1971. OSHA has developed the proposal and draft final rule through an inclusive process involving consultation with representatives from business, labor, academia, and government.