OSHA Emphasis Programs
OSHA can’t inspect every workplace, so it focuses on the hazards that hurt and kill the most workers. Emphasis programs tell inspectors which hazards and industries to target.
- Construction
- General Industry
Types of programs
- National Emphasis Programs (NEPs): apply across the country.
- Regional and Local Emphasis Programs: target hazards common in a specific area (for example, residential construction falls or oil and gas in certain regions).
- Under an emphasis program, an inspector may open an inspection when they see a hazard in plain view, like workers in an unprotected trench or on a roof without fall protection.
Hazards OSHA has emphasized in recent years
- Falls from heights in all industries. See Fall Protection.
- Trenching and excavation. See Trenching.
- Outdoor and indoor heat. See Heat Illness.
- Respirable crystalline silica. See Silica.
- Amputations in manufacturing. See Machine Guarding.
- Combustible dust, lead, and warehousing and distribution centers
The list of active programs changes over time. Check OSHA’s directives page for the current list.
Takeaway: the hazards OSHA emphasizes are the ones most likely to hurt you. If your site handles them well, you’re a lot safer, inspection or not.
Standards & references
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