Using Behavioral Interventions to Help Employers Resolve Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Citations Interim Project Brief
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About the Brief
The brief presents initial findings on the effects of an intervention designed to increase employer responsiveness to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Through a nationwide randomized controlled trial, researchers tested whether employers who were cited for health and safety violations would be more responsive if OSHA changed the way it issues and follows up on citations. Employer responsiveness is a critical component of fulfilling OSHA’s mission; when employers do not respond to citations, the agency cannot verify that workplace hazards have been corrected, and local offices must refer unresolved citations to the national office for enforcement and debt collection, a costly and burdensome process.
Key Takeaways
- Changing the way that information was presented, along with providing timely reminders, caused more employers to respond to OSHA citations.
- The new citation process increased the share of employers who signed informal settlements and the share who made a payment toward their penalties.
- Follow-up research will determine if these improvements in employer responsiveness to citations translate into fewer cases requiring enforcement and debt collection.
Citation
Chojnacki, G., Deutsch, J., Perez-Johnson, I., Amin, S., Darling, M., Lefkowitz, J. (2016). Mathematica. Pilot OSHA Citation Process Increases Employer Responsiveness. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.