What Triggers an OSHA Inspection?
Over 8 million workplaces around the nation fall under OSHA’s jurisdiction and may be inspected for compliance with its standards. Given OSHA’s limited number of inspectors in relation to the number of facilities that need to be inspected, OSHA prioritizes its inspection resources with a “worst first” approach to ensure the most hazardous workplaces take precedence when resources are limited. While some employers may never experience an OSHA inspection, understanding what triggers them helps your team stay prepared and compliant.
OSHA inspections can arise from various circumstances, including programmed assessments targeting high-hazard workplaces and unprogrammed responses to imminent dangers, fatalities, or employee complaints. These triggers lead to either surprise visits or formal investigations to ensure workplace safety compliance. OSHA may also contact employers about lower‑priority issues by phone or mail. If the employer responds within five days with corrective actions, OSHA often does not conduct an on‑site inspection.
OSHA’s order of priorities from highest to lowest is as follows:
Imminent Danger Situations: Hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm receive top priority and result in inspection within 24 hours. Corrective action will also be expected immediately.
Severe Injuries and Fatalities: Employers are required to report fatalities within 8 hours and serious injuries—such as amputations, in‑patient hospitalizations, or loss of an eye—within 24 hours. These reports often lead directly to an inspection.
Worker Complaints: Workers have the right to file confidential safety and health complaints. When OSHA determines that a complaint alleges serious hazards or ongoing violations, an inspection may follow. Complaints do not always result in an on-site inspection.
Referrals: Inspections may be initiated based on referrals from other federal, state, local agencies, media reports, or even concerned individuals who witness unsafe practices. Like complaints, referrals do not always result in an on-site inspection.
Targeted Inspections: OSHA conducts random inspections aimed at specific high-hazard industries or individual workplaces that have experienced high injury or illness rates; often based on Special, National, Regional, and Local Emphasis Programs.
Follow-up Inspections: OSHA may conduct follow up inspections to ensure that previously cited violations have been corrected. If the inspection shows that the hazard remains uncorrected, OSHA can issue a failure to abate citation. This can result in additional daily penalties until the issue is resolved, and in some cases, may escalate to more serious enforcement actions.
Maintaining a robust safety program is your best protection against unexpected OSHA inspections. Staying proactive—by performing regular safety audits, training employees on and ensuring they follow all safety procedures and promptly addressing identified hazards—helps prevent violations and keeps everyone safe.
Key Takeaways
OSHA prioritizes workplaces with the most serious hazards first.
Imminent dangers, severe injuries, and formal complaints are the top triggers.
Not all complaints or referrals lead to on‑site inspections.
A strong safety program is your best defense against unexpected OSHA inspections.
If OSHA shows up at your facility, consider contacting our ACS team—we’re available to provide guidance by phone (800-55-HELPS/800-554-3577).