FAQ

1. Why are there no assessed violations prior to 1995?

2. Why do some contractors have 1776 as a start date?

1. What can I learn from the OSHA enforcement data?

2. What are the main differences between the enforcement data available through the OSHA Data Catalog and the inspection data available through the search tools available via osha.gov/data?

3. How is the OSHA Data Catalog enforcement dataset organized?

4. How can I determine whether an inspection was conducted by Federal OSHA or a State Plan office?

5. What should I do if I can't find what I'm looking for in the Data Catalog?

6. There are some codes in the Data Catalog files that aren’t defined in the data dictionary. What should I do?

7. What is the difference between the incident investigation data available in the osha_accident files and the fatality reports posted at https://www.osha.gov/fatalities?

8. What is the difference between the incident investigation data available in the osha_accident files and the Severe Injury Reports data posted at https://www.osha.gov/severeinjury?

1. What data is part of EBSA Plan Administration (EBSA-OCATS) dataset?

1. Why are there no assessed violations prior to 1995?
Assessed violation data is only available from 1995 forward.

2. Why do some contractors have 1776 as a start date?
A start date of 1776 means that the actual start date is unknown.

1. What can I learn from the OSHA enforcement data?
The OSHA Enforcement Data Catalog includes information on the more than 4 million workplace safety and health inspections conducted by OSHA since 1972, including associated violation and incident investigation data. The files are generally updated daily and include enforcement activities from both Federal OSHA and State Plans that operate their own workplace safety and health programs. The Data Catalog files are provided as a resource for advanced users looking to analyze large amounts of historical enforcement data and for users who are unable to get the enforcement data they are looking for using OSHA’s web-based search tools.

2. What are the main differences between the enforcement data available through the OSHA Data Catalog and the inspection data available through the search tools available via osha.gov/data?
Users can obtain up-to-date OSHA enforcement data in two primary ways:

1. OSHA’s website offers several enforcement data search tools through its main Data page. Users can use these tools to search inspections by establishment name, inspection number, or industry code. In addition, users can use the General Duty Clause Violation Search tool to search the text of violations citing Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act (also known as the General Duty Clause), or use the Investigations Search tool to search the text of investigation summaries from OSHA inspections responding to incidents such as workplace fatalities. These tools provide a convenient way to address many common queries. However, there is no option to download the results from a search and the tools are limited in the types of queries that are supported.
2. The OSHA Data Catalog provides users the ability to download all historical enforcement data as a series of comma separated values (CSV) files. The files are organized as multi-relational tables that are ideally suited for use with database or statistical software. Each individual file is limited to one million rows so that they also can be opened using conventional spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel. Alternatively, users also can now query these files directly via the API deployed through the DOL Open Data Portal (account registration required).

One difference between the two data sources is that the inspection identification number--also referred to as the activity number--for more recent inspections will be displayed differently in the Data Catalog files compared to the osha.gov inspection search results:

• For all inspections opened prior to 2011, the activity number is the same as the original inspection number assigned to the inspection in OSHA’s legacy data management system, the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS).
• For more recent inspections entered in OSHA’s current data management system, the OSHA Information System (OIS), the activity number is derived from the inspection number to avoid any duplication with legacy inspection numbers from IMIS. All OSHA offices transitioned from IMIS to OIS between 2011 and 2015.
• In the OSHA Data Catalog, activity numbers greater than 330000000 originated in OIS and can be converted to the original OIS inspection number by subtracting 33 from the first two digits and removing the last digit. For example, activity number 331234567 corresponds to OIS inspection number 123456, activity number 340123456 corresponds to OIS inspection number 1012345, etc.
• In the osha.gov inspection search results, inspection numbers from OIS will be displayed by appending .015 to the end of each number (e.g., inspection 123456 will appear as 123456.015, inspection 1012345 will appear as 1012345.015, etc.).

3. How is the OSHA Data Catalog enforcement dataset organized?
The OSHA enforcement dataset comprises 10 different sets of files organized around inspections, violations, and incident investigations.

The following sections provide additional information about the data available in each set of files. The "activity_nr" field is the common identifier that links the inspection, violation, and incident investigation data together. For incident investigations, the "summary_nr" field in the osha_accident files is the common identifier that links the incident and injury-level data together.

For tables that contain more than 1,000,000 records, the CSV files are broken up into a series of smaller files with up to 1,000,000 records each to allow users to open the files in Excel. The inspection and violation files are sorted numerically by activity number. Users can focus on the most recent files if they are only interested in recent data (e.g., osha_inspection4.csv will generally contain data for more recently opened inspections than osha_inspection3.csv, etc.).

Inspection-level files contain information related to each inspection opened by OSHA:

• osha_inspection
• Includes one line per inspection activity (including records for "No Inspections" where an attempted inspection could not take place).
  
• The activity_nr is the unique identifier for each inspection.
  
• If the close_case_date field is blank, this means that the inspection has not been indicated as closed and that the information associated with the inspection may change (e.g., violations may be added or deleted).
• osha_strategic_codes
• Includes one line per emphasis program code associated with an inspection.
  
• Inspections may be associated with zero, one, or multiple emphasis program codes, but only up to one code may be identified as primary (indicated by program type code "P"). The primary emphasis program code was introduced in 2015.
  
• For inspections opened prior to OIS (activity numbers below 330000000), the program type code "S" indicates a Strategic Plan code. Strategic Plan codes were historically applicable for both Federal OSHA and State Plan inspections but are no longer used by Federal OSHA.
  
• For inspections opened in OIS (activity numbers greater than 330000000), the program type code "S" indicates a State Plan emphasis program code. State Plan emphasis program codes were first introduced in OIS and are applicable for State Plan inspections only.
• osha_optional_info
• Includes one line per optional information code associated with an inspection.
  
• Optional information codes are used to track activities related to Agency priorities; they are also referred to as Additional codes in OSHA directives and memoranda.
  
• Inspections may be associated with zero, one, or multiple optional information codes.
  
• All codes consist of a one character code Type (N = National, R = Regional, A = Area Office, and S = State Plan), a code ID, and a code Value. For National codes, the code ID consists of a two-digit number (01-22, 30, 33, 44, 77, or 88). Depending on the code ID, the value codes will either be predefined or allow open text values.
  
• The published data only includes National optional information codes available to all OSHA offices and does not reflect any State Plan, Regional, or Area Office-specific codes.
  
• Optional "N-20" codes are suppressed from the published data as these are open text comment codes that may contain non-disclosable information, including personally identifiable information.
• osha_related_activity
• Includes one line per associated activity.
• Related activity numbers where the rel_type code is "I" identify the inspection activity number of any inspection related to the original inspection (e.g., a multi-employer, concurrent, or follow-up inspection). The rel_act_nr field provides the activity number for these related inspections.
  
• Related activity numbers where the rel_type code is not "I" indicate that the related activity was a complaint, referral, or fatality/catastrophe report (formerly referred to as "accidents"). The associated data for these unprogrammed activities is not currently published and therefore the rel_act_nr for these entries cannot be linked to other data files in the Data Catalog.

Violation-level files files contain information related to all violation items cited by OSHA:

• osha_violation
• Each entry in the violation dataset represents a violation item citing a single OSHA standard or Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act. The citation_id field identifies each violation item within an inspection.
• Each citation ID comprises a 2-digit citation #, a 3-digit item #, and an optional group letter (e.g., 01001, 02001A, etc.).
• Violation items may be grouped into a single violation if the hazard involves two or more violations of multiple OSHA standards that are interconnected or related. If a violation is grouped to cite multiple standards, each standard cited will be assigned the same Item # but will have a group letter indicating that the items are part of the same violation. In grouped violations, the penalty for the entire violation in most cases will be associated with the first item (typically indicated by letter "A"), while the other items will reflect $0 in penalties.
• If an inspection activity number does not appear in the violation dataset, that typically indicates that OSHA has not issued a citation for that inspection; however, keep in mind that OSHA has up to six months from the occurrence of a hazard to issue citations, and that any violation information will not appear in the dataset until 30 days after OSHA indicates that the employer has received the citation.
• Entries where the final_order_date field is blank indicate that a proposed violation is not a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and information related to the violation is subject to change.
• The violation dataset includes proposed violations that were subsequently deleted, which can be identified using the delete_flag field.
• Refer to the osha_violation_event dataset to see the full history of a violation, including any changes to the violation classification or penalty amount following a settlement or judicial decision.


• osha_violation_event
• The osha_violation_event file provides the full history for a violation item and includes one row for each event associated with the violation as identified by the activity_nr and citation_id fields.
• The osha_violation file reflects the most current data associated with each violation item. If a violation item does not appear in the osha_violation_event file, there is no additional history associated with that item (i.e., no changes to the violation from how it was initially issued).
• A violation may have multiple events associated with it after issuance. For example, a single violation may have separate entries in the osha_violation_event file for the violation issuance (hist_event = Z), a violation contest (hist_event = C), and a formal settlement (hist_event = F).
• osha_violation_gen_duty_std
• The osha_violation_gen_duty_std file includes the full Alleged Violation Description (AVD) for violations citing Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, also known as the General Duty Clause, as well as the AVDs for some other violations.
• For Federal OSHA inspections that originated in OIS (activity numbers greater than 330000000), the AVD for all violations will be included regardless of the standard cited.
• For State Plan inspections that originated in OIS (activity numbers greater than 330000000), the AVD is not published for any violations. For State Plan inspections with activity numbers below 330000000, AVDs are published when available for violations citing Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act or a State Plan equivalent standard; however, users should be aware that this data is not available for all State Plans.

Incident-level files contain information related to incidents that resulted in an injury that was reported to and investigated by OSHA. Incident investigation summaries are developed after OSHA conducts an inspection in response to a work-related incident (typically a fatality, catastrophe involving three or more hospitalizations, amputation, in-patient hospitalization, or loss of an eye). The summaries provide a complete description of the incident, generally including events leading up to the incident and causal factors.

The data available through these files is comparable to the information searchable through the OSHA Investigation Summaries tool. While the term "accident" was commonly used in the past, including in OSHA’s legacy data system, OSHA now suggests using the term "incident" investigation to refer to events involving a worker injury because, to many, the term "accident" suggests an event that was random and could not have been prevented.

The summaries currently available include completed investigations since 1984. Summaries for more recent events, particularly investigations that were initiated within the last year, may not yet be available to provide time for OSHA staff to complete the investigation and revise the incident summary as necessary. Summaries must then undergo a screening process for personal information and to add keywords prior to posting. OSHA prioritizes the review and publication of incidents involving fatalities; data for non-fatal incidents is not comprehensively available for all prior years.
• osha_accident
• This dataset includes one line per incident investigation.
• The summary_nr is the unique identifier for each investigation. To identify the inspection(s) associated with an investigation, use the rel_insp_nr field in the osha_accident_injury table.
• Investigations involving a fatality can be identified using the "fatality" column. Please be aware that OSHA prioritizes the review and publication of incidents involving fatalities, and data for non-fatal injuries or other incidents may not be comprehensive.
• osha_accident_injury
• The osha_accident_injury file includes one record per injured victim. To identify the inspected employer, the file needs to be linked to the osha_inspection file using the rel_insp_nr from the osha_accident_injury file and the activity_nr from the osha_inspection file.
• Incidents with multiple victims may be associated with one or more different inspections.
• osha_accident_abstract
• This dataset includes a more detailed narrative description for each investigated incident.
• If the abstract exceeds 80 characters, the abstract will be broken out into separate lines with up to 80 characters per line.
• osha_accident_lookup2
• This lookup table provides a listing of the codes used in the osha_accident and osha_accident_injury datasets.
• The table below shows the corresponding column for each lookup code.

4. How can I determine whether an inspection was conducted by Federal OSHA or a State Plan office?
The Reporting ID (RID) field indicates the office that conducted the inspection. The RID combines the region and area office codes into a single code. The first two digits represent the historical region number (01-10), and the third digit indicates whether it was a Federal OSHA or State Plan office. All State Plan RIDs have "5" as the third RID digit, whereas Federal OSHA offices will have a 1, 2, or 3 as the third RID digit. Please be aware that the state_flag fields in the osha_inspection and osha_accident file are not currently populated and should not be used to determine the office that conducted an inspection.

5. What should I do if I can't find what I'm looking for in the Data Catalog?
The OSHA Data Catalog provides access to the most frequently requested data related to OSHA enforcement activities. If the information you seek is not available in the Data Catalog files, you may also submit a request for records under the Freedom of Information Act.

6. There are some codes in the Data Catalog files that aren’t defined in the data dictionary. What should I do?
The Data Catalog files are provided as a convenience to members of the public who wish to identify OSHA interventions meeting specific criteria or to perform statistical analysis of OSHA enforcement activity. The data is provided "as is" and OSHA cannot guarantee the accuracy of all information. The source of the information is the local federal or state office in the geographical area where the activity occurred. In rare cases, an office may enter data that is undefined or appears improbable. Employers or employees who believe the information associated with a specific entry to be inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date are encouraged to contact the OSHA field office or state plan agency which originated the activity. However, please be aware that for older closed cases, the original case file may be past the final disposition date established under the OSHA Compliance Records directive (ADM 03-01-005) and no longer available.

7. What is the difference between the incident investigation data available in the osha_accident files and the fatality reports posted at https://www.osha.gov/fatalities?
The fatality reports page provides a brief description of the incident and the worker name for OSHA-covered fatalities that have occurred since 2017 when the preliminary investigation indicated that the fatality was work-related. OSHA updates the listing soon after an inspection involving a fatality is either closed or has citations issued to provide the public with more timely access to recent workplace fatalities. After the fatality investigation goes through OSHA’s full screening and review process -- which includes assigning relevant keywords and producing a more detailed abstract -- the investigation data is published in the Data Catalog and becomes available via OSHA’s Investigations Search tool. The investigation data published through this process includes all fatalities that OSHA investigated, regardless of whether the incident met the posting criteria for the fatality reports page (e.g., involved an OSHA-covered victim where there was sufficient information to determine work-relatedness at the time of posting).

8. What is the difference between the incident investigation data available in the osha_accident files and the Severe Injury Reports data posted at https://www.osha.gov/severeinjury?
Since January 1, 2015, OSHA requires employers to report within 24 hours all severe work-related injuries, defined as an amputation, in-patient hospitalization, or loss of an eye. Previously, Federal OSHA only required employers to report within 8 hours work-related incidents that resulted in the death of a worker or "catastrophes" involving the hospitalization of three or more workers (this reporting requirement remains unchanged; see https://www.osha.gov/report for details on OSHA’s fatality and severe injury reporting requirements). Fatality and catastrophe reports receive priority for inspection, and the investigation data from these inspections will appear in the osha_accident files after the information has been reviewed and approved for posting.

1. What data is part of EBSA Plan Administration (EBSA-OCATS) dataset?
The EBSA Plan Administration (EBSA-OCATS) dataset consists of closed cases that resulted in penalty assessments by EBSA since 2000. This data provides information on EBSA's enforcement programs to enforce ERISA's Form 5500 Annual Return/Report filing requirement focusing on deficient filers, late filers and non-filers.