Labor Secretary Hilda Solis has pledged to crack down on companies that violate OSHA standards, so in-house counsel at the 15,000 workplaces that receive a letter from the Department of Labor (DOL) informing them that their injury and illness rates are higher than the national average should take note. The letter also reminds employers with fewer than 250 workers that a free consultation program is available to help them correct safety and health violations. The DOL announced the notification program Tuesday in a press release:
"The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration surveys employers to collect workplace injury and illness data it uses to identify employers whose injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average. A letter has been sent to about 15,000 workplaces with the highest numbers of injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activities or job transfers, known as the DART rate."
Read InsideCounsel's February issue story on the OSHA enforcement initiative: http://www.insidecounsel.com/Issues/2010/February-2010/Pages/OSHAs-Offensive.aspx?page=1
and the complete DOL press release: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/osha/osha20100294.htm
