The SST-09 plan divides the inspection list into 3 categories.  And this year OSHA has specified a minimum injury and illness rate for each group.  The list includes 3,100 manufacturing worksites, 500 non-manufacturing worksites, and 300 nursing or personal care establishments.

The manufacturing worksites on the list have a DART (Days Away from work, Restricted work activity, or job Transfer) rate of 8 or greater; or they have a DAFWII (Days Away From Work Injury or Illness) rate of 6 or greater.  The DART rate for the non-manufacturing worksites is 15 or greater, while the DAFWII rate is 13 or more.  And for the nursing or personal care establishments, OSHA is looking at those with a DART rate of 17 or higher and a DAFWII of 14 or more.

It is important to note that the SST-09 establishments that we have mentioned thus far are on the primary lists.  So, you if your company made the cut-off for the DART and DAFWII rate and you did not respond to the 2008 survey, then you may be on the secondary list.

To be on the safe side, you need to check in with your risk manager, claims adjuster, or whoever may handle the work injuries and OSHA logs for your organization.  Next, brush up on OSHA 101.  Become familiar with commonly cited OSHA violations; check to make sure you have documentation of OSHA required trainings; and, inspect all equipment for compliance.

If you are wondering, below is a list of the top 10 most commonly cited OSHA violations of 2008:

• Scaffolding, general requirements
• Fall protection,
• Hazard communication standard
• Lockout Tag out
• Respiratory protection
• Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment
• Power industrial trucks
• Ladders
• Machines
• Electrical system design

If your company participates in an OSHA sponsored program, such as VPP or SHARP, there is a good chance that it was deleted from the inspection, if it fell under the DART or DAFWII rate for your industry.  Regardless, the best way to deal with an OSHA inspection is to be prepared, besides, even if your company is not on the list this year, better safe than cited.

References:

Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards, http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/frequent_standards.html; Accessed September 21, 2009.

4,000 worksites on inspection list under OSHA’s Site-Specific Targeting 2009 program, http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=16338; Accessed September 21, 2009.