The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released detailed case data collected by its Injury Tracking Application for calendar year 2023, the agency announced December 12. The release makes publicly available the establishment-level injury and illness summary data submitted by employers.
OSHA also released a “Work Related Injury & Illness Summary” report, which includes tables of injury/illness case characteristics, top occupational groups reporting injuries and illnesses, and a breakdown of injury and illness case types by industrial sector for 2023.
“Publication of this data is a milestone in our efforts to make data on workplace injuries and illnesses more transparent,” Doug Parker, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, said in an agency statement. “This information is an unprecedented tool for researchers, public health officials, businesses, and workers to understand the nature of workplace injuries and illnesses in this country, whether they are looking at national trends, or the factory where they work every day.”
The agency collected data on more than 890,000 workplace injuries and illnesses at more than 91,000 workplaces during calendar year 2023.
The data published includes the names of employers, incident locations, descriptions of injuries or illnesses, and objects or substances involved.
To protect worker privacy, the agency used artificial intelligence and human review to redact personal information, including workers’ names, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, birth dates, and addresses.
Cal/OSHA issues $276,425 fine for ‘willful’ heat violations
Parkwood Landscape Maintenance of Van Nuys, California, faces state workplace safety and health penalties totaling $276,425 for willfully violating state heat illness prevention regulations, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced December 12.
State investigators determined the employer deliberately and knowingly failed to follow heat protection requirements, marking the agency’s first willful heat violation citation. Cal/OSHA’s investigation began on June 6, when the agency’s Van Nuys District Office received a complaint about employees working outdoors without access to water or heat illness training provided by their employer.
The employer failed to provide employees with required protections, such as access to water, shaded areas, and proper training on preventing heat-related illnesses, according to Cal/OSHA. The company also lacked written procedures for addressing working conditions in high temperatures often exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Employees had to purchase their own drinking water, which is a violation of the state’s heat illness prevention standard.
“Employers have a responsibility to protect their workers from the dangers of extreme heat,” Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee said in an agency statement. “It is unacceptable for any business to blatantly ignore safety protocols, putting their employees at serious risk. This enforcement action underscores our commitment to holding employers accountable and ensuring safe workplaces across California.”
California has state standards for outdoor and indoor heat illness prevention, as well as an all-encompassing injury and illness prevention program standard. The state also has a special emphasis program of enforcement, outreach, and training for its heat regulations.
Although there’s no federal heat illness prevention standard, OSHA has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to establish one. On November 29, OSHA extended the public comment period on its proposal to January 14, 2025.