Companies around the country have been receiving warning letters from OSHA if they have high DART rates. Days Away, Restricted and Transferred reflects the more severe (and expensive) injuries and illnesses that resulted in lost-time, job restrictions/light duty, or new positions because they are physically unable to return to the one they were in at the time of injury. As in previous years, any company receiving a warning letter had a higher chance of getting a surprise visit from OSHA inspectors at either their facility or at a jobsite, but this year the odds of that visit have changed. And not in your favor.
Prior to 2013, companies that had a DART rate above the national average received a letter. 15,000 or so letters typically went out, and any company in an industry with a severity exposure usually received one. Much like NCCI does with Experience Modification Factors, OSHA changed their formula to benchmark companies against others in their own industry rather than against every industry. Like experience mods in general, this will allow companies to compare their own safety records to others in their industry. The 15,000 letters that were normally issued annually dropped to just under 9,500.
Now that companies are being measured against others within their own industries, injury rate comparisons actually mean something. In the past, it didn’t make sense to compare the injury rates of an insurance agency to that of a crane company, but it was done anyways because the status quo is easier and cheaper than recalculating the rating formula. But now that “apples to apples” comparisons are being made, these warnings might serve as an actual warning, rather than be immediately relegated to the recycling bin. OSHA didn’t sugar coat the verbiage in their warning letters either. Recipients of the letters saw this wording: “This means workers in your establishment are being injured at a higher rate than in most other businesses in your industry.”
Wondering if you’re on OSHA’s list this year? Did your biggest competitor have less injuries than you did?
Click Here to download the list of Connecticut companies on OSHA’s 2013 list.