List of Low-Hazard Industries Remains the Same

Feb. 18, 2004
At OSHA, the song remains the same: that is, the list of low-hazard industries in which small business employers are exempt from programmed safety inspections will remain the same as those in 2003.

The exemption is for industries with lost workday injury (LWDI) rates below the national private sector rate of 2.6 for 2001.

OSHA traditionally revises the list (Appendix A of Compliance Directive 02-00-051) every year in accordance with the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lost work day incident (LWDI) data to update the list of exempt industries in SIC codes having an LWDI rate below the national, private sector rate. However, this year the appendix cannot be updated due to changes in OSHA's recordkeeping rule that affect the manner in which BLS reports occupational injuries.

Since the mid 1970s, Congress has placed language in OSHA's appropriations (funding) bill that requires OSHA to exempt small business employers (those with ten or fewer employees) that are in industries with low LWDI rates from programmed safety inspections. Due to changes in OSHA's recordkeeping rule, the LWDI rate specified in the Appropriations Act is no longer published. BLS now publishes the Days Away from Work, Restriction, or Job Transfer (DART) rate.

Because appropriations language specifically requires the use of the most recent LWDI rate published by BLS, OSHA is obligated to use the 2001 LWDI data. The agency is currently taking steps to advise Congress of the changes in the published rates and is proposing a modification to the appropriations language that would permit the use of DART data.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

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