Volume 14, Number 2 (Spring) 1979
Smith, Robert Stewart. 1979. "The Impact of OSHA Inspections on Manufacturing Injury Rates." Journal of Human Resources 14(2):145-170.
This paper estimates the effects of OSHA inspections on injury rates at the plant level. The methodology involves comparing injury rates of plants inspected "early" in a given year with those inspected "late" in the year, after controlling for prior injury rates and other factors. The results suggest that OSHA inspections in 1973 reduced injury rates by about 16 percent, but that 1974 inspections had no statistically significant impact.
The author is on the faculty of the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University. The author wishes to thank Helen Montague of the U.S. Department of Labor for her computer assistance on this project, which was done under contract with the Department of Labor. The methodology, results, and views expressed herein are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Labor. The author wishes to thank John Burton, Aldona DiPietro, Ronald Ehrenberg, Robert Hutchens, Walter Oi, and Henry Wan for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. None is responsible for any remaining oversights. The author has also benefited from the comments of the editor and two referees.
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