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ERIC Number: ED331969
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1990-Nov
Pages: 79
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Occupational Safety & Health. Inspectors' Opinions on Improving OSHA Effectiveness. Fact Sheet for Subcommittee on Health and Safety, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives.
General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.
Questionnaires gathered opinions of all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) field supervisors and a randomly selected sample of one-third of the compliance officers about OSHA's approach to improving workplace safety and health. Major topics addressed were enforcement, safety and health standards, education and training, employer involvement, and worker involvement. A total of 336 usable questionnaires from a sample of 477 were returned. About 40 percent thought OSHA's enforcement program was effective; about 95 percent thought the inspection force needed to be increased; about 75 percent thought civil fines were inadequate to serve as a deterrent to safety and health violations; and about 80 percent thought increased use of criminal sanctions would greatly reduce violations. Inspectors identified over 75 safety and health hazards that were unregulated but should have been and believed health standards were more difficult for employers to understand than safety standards. Most reported that lack of knowledge contributed greatly to work-related injuries and illnesses and believed OSHA's efforts to increase knowledge about workplace safety and health were moderately effective for employers and less effective for workers. Most thought current levels of employer and worker involvement in safety and health activities were too low. (Appendixes include survey objectives, scope, and methodology; respondent profile; and survey questions with responses.) (YLB)
U.S. General Accounting Office, P.O. Box 6015, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (first five copies free; additional copies $2.00 each).
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A