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 these data to identify the approximately 10,000 workplaces with Days Away from Work, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rates greater than the average rate for their industry; your workplace was one of those identified. This means workers in your establishment are being injured at a higher rate than in most other businesses in your industry.

I am writing you to indicate my concern about the high DART rate at your establishment and to identify ways that you can obtain assistance in addressing hazards in your workplace. OSHA recognizes that your elevated DART 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. In addition, you should be aware that OSHA may target up to 2,500 general industry workplaces identified in the survey for inspection in the next year.

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. Your workers can help identify hazards and find solutions. In addition, if you have a union at your site, please discuss with them how to reduce hazards in your workplace.

An excellent way for employers with 250 or fewer workers to address safety and health is to ask for assistance from the OSHA On-site Consultation Program. This program is administered by a state agency and operated separately from OSHA’s enforcement program. Designed for small employers, the On-site Consultation Program can help you identify hazards and find effective and economical solutions for eliminating or controlling them. The service is cost-free and confidential, and there are no fines even if problems are found. The OSHA state consultant can also assist you in developing and implementing an injury and illness prevention program, an effective way to manage safety and health at your workplace.

In your state, the OSHA On-site Consultation Program may be contacted at:

Name, Project Manager
Name of Organization
Address – first line
Address – second line
Telephone number

I also encourage you to consider developing and implementing your own injury and illness prevention program as a proactive approach to find and fix workplace hazards before workers are hurt. We know these programs can be effective at reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Not only do employers experience dramatic decreases in workplace injuries, but they often report a transformed workplace culture that can lead to higher productivity and quality, reduced turnover, reduced costs, and greater employee satisfaction. As mentioned, the OSHA state consultant is available to assist you with developing a workplace injury and illness prevention program. More information on injury and illness prevention programs can be found on OSHA webpage at www.osha.gov. Additionally, a list of all the employers receiving this letter will be available on the OSHA webpage.

Sincerely,

David Michaels, PhD, MPH 
Assistant Secretary