Resources for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Real Choices for the Public to Work with OSHA

OSHA

In policing the nation's workplaces, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) traditionally relied on inspections and after-the-fact fines for violations. The Maine Top
200 Program took a radically different approach. It encouraged employers to identify hazards
themselves and take corrective action before they lead to injury or illness.
The Maine Top 200 Program started in 1993 after OSHA examined state workers'
compensation data and recognized that enforcement efforts were not targeted to the firms
registering the highest worker compensation claims. The mismatch was particularly troubling
because of the state's relatively high incidence of hazards, injuries, and illness. The employer
could choose to work with OSHA by identifying and correcting hazards themselves and also by
implementing comprehensive safety and health programs to sustain the effort. The company's
other choice was an increase in traditional OSHA inspections. Nearly all the firms chose to enter
into partnership with OSHA.

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