Date
Name of the Employer
Address

Dear_______:

Last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) surveyed employers to collect workplace injury and illness data. The Agency used this data to identify the workplaces with the highest lost workday injury and illness (LWDII) rates; your workplace was one of those identified. This means employees in your business are being injured at a higher rate than in most other businesses in the country.

I am writing you to indicate my concern about the high LWDII rate at your establishment and to identify ways that you can obtain assistance in addressing hazards in your workplace. OSHA recognizes that your elevated LWDII rate does not necessarily indicate a lack of interest in safety and health. Whatever the cause, a high rate is costly to your company in both personal and financial terms.

Over the years OSHA has found that many employers lack expertise in the field of workplace safety and health and welcome assistance by experts in this field. You may wish to consider hiring an outside safety and health consultant, talking with your insurance carrier, or contacting your state's workers' compensation agency for advice.

An excellent way for employers with 250 or fewer workers to address safety and health in their workplaces is to ask for assistance from OSHA's consultation program. This program is administered by a state agency and operated separately from OSHA's enforcement program. The service is free and confidential, and there are no fines even if problems are found. Designed for small employers, the consultation program can help you identify hazards in your workplace and find effective and economical solutions for eliminating or controlling them. In addition, the OSHA state consultant can assist you in developing and implementing a safety and health management system for your workplace.

In your state, the OSHA consultation program may be contacted at:

Contact point for consultation in employer's state.

Often your employees can also be a source for identifying hazards and finding solutions. I encourage you to consider these suggestions as well as visit OSHA's home page at www.osha.gov for information to ensure safe and healthful working conditions in your establishment. As it was last year, a list of all the employers receiving this letter will be available from the OSHA home page.

Sincerely,

John L. Henshaw