OSHA 2008 SST Program Targets 3,800 Work Sites

VHCA (6/6/2008)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that it is targeting approximately 3,800 high hazard work sites for unannounced comprehensive inspections over the next year under its 2008 site specific targeting (SST) plan. Work sites were identified from self-reported data from a 2007 survey of 80,000 work sites, which was based on 2006 injury and illness data. As in the past, long term care facilities are under the SST program, with the primary focus of these inspections being on ergonomic stressors relating to resident handling; exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials; exposure to tuberculosis; and slips, trips and falls.

SST-08 will cover worksites on the primary list that reported 11 or more injuries or illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity or job transfer (DART) for every 100 full-time workers or nine or more cases that involve days away from work due to injuries or illnesses (DAFWII) for every 100 full-time workers. The national DART rate for private industry in 2005 was 2.3 and the DAFWII case rate was 1.3.  As in previous years, OSHA will target for inspection and place on the primary inspection list only the highest 50% rated long term care facilities (standard industrial classification codes 8051, 8052, and 8059) with the above mentioned DART and DAFWII case rates.

The OSHA SST-08 directive can be read in its entirety on OSHA’s website.