How to check a contractor's OSHA record
Before you hire a subcontractor or buy from a supplier, it is reasonable to ask whether OSHA has inspected them and what it found. The information is public and free. This guide shows where to look, what to read first, and how to avoid reading too much into what you find.
Where to look
OSHA runs its own Establishment Search, which lets you search inspections by company name. OSHA lists it with its other search tools on its data page. The US Department of Labor also publishes the full inspection data set for download, which is what services such as ours use.
A six-step check
- Search the company name and narrow by state. Use the legal name from your contract or the company's W-9, then try any trading name. See why name searches mislead.
- Open each inspection and note the date, the inspection type (planned, complaint, accident, follow-up) and the scope (complete, partial or records only).
- Read the citations. Note the type and the standard cited. The citation types guide explains Willful, Repeat, Serious, Other and Unclassified.
- Compare the initial penalty with the current penalty. They can differ after a settlement or other action. The inspection record guide shows how.
- Look at the dates. One old inspection tells you less than several recent ones, and a repeated pattern tells you more than a single event.
- Write down what you found and the date you checked. Records are revised over time, so a note with a date is worth more than a memory.
What to read first
| Item | What it tells you | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection type | Why OSHA visited | Complaint and accident inspections have a trigger. Planned ones follow an OSHA programme. None is a verdict. |
| Citations | What OSHA says it found | Look at the type and the standard. One minor citation is not the same as repeated serious ones. |
| Penalties | How OSHA assessed the findings | Compare initial and current amounts. |
| Dates | How recent and how often | Check the open date and the close-case date. |
What "no records found" means
It means no inspection matched the name you typed, in the data as of that day. It does not mean the company has a clean history, because the same business may appear under another name, in another state, or may not have been inspected at all. Very recent inspections can also be missing. See how current OSHA data is.
One company or a long list
For one or two companies, the free tools are enough. For a list of subcontractors, typing each name, checking each state and copying the results takes a while. Clearsheet takes a list of up to 25 names with states and returns one printable report, with a link to the official OSHA page for every inspection. See the sample report.
What to do with what you find
Treat a record as a question to ask, not a verdict. If you see something that concerns you, ask the contractor what happened and what changed afterwards. The prequalification guide lists other things worth asking for.
Common questions
Is an OSHA inspection a bad sign?
Not by itself. OSHA inspects for several reasons, including planned programmes, complaints and accidents, and some inspections end with no citations at all. Read what was found, not only that a visit happened.
Is OSHA inspection data free?
Yes. OSHA and the Department of Labor publish it for free. A paid service saves time when you have a list of companies to check.
Is this legal advice?
No. This guide is general information. It does not tell you whether to hire anyone.