The employee who filed the original complaint will receive a copy of the employer's response. If still not satisfied, the complainant may then request an on-site inspection. Inspection Priorities OSHA's top priority for inspection is an imminent danger a situation where workers face an immediate risk of death or serious physical harm. Second priority goes to any fatality or catastrophe an accident that requires hospitalization of three or more workers. Employers are required to report fatalities and catastrophes to OSHA within eight hours.
Third priority is employee complaints and referrals.
Lower inspection priorities include inspections targeted toward high hazard industries, planned inspections in other industries and, finally, follow-up inspections to determine whether previously cited violations have been abated. Before beginning an inspection, OSHA staff must be able to determine from the complaint that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of an OSHA standard or a safety or health hazard exists. If OSHA has information indicating the employer is aware of the hazard and is correcting it, the agency may not conduct an inspection after obtaining the necessary documentation from the employer. Complaint inspections generally are limited to the hazards listed in the complaint, although other violations in plain sight may be cited as well. OSHA ranks complaints based on the severity of the alleged hazard and the number of employees exposed.