The Site-Specific Targeting (SST) Inspection Program is a key component of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) enforcement effort. The High Rate Letter (HRL) was a tool used by the SST Program to encourage work establishments that had injury and illness rates above the national average to consider hiring an outside safety and health consultant, talk with their insurance carrier, contact the workers' compensation agency in their state for advice, or ask for assistance from OSHA's Onsite Consultation (OSC) program. OSHA sent the HRL to establishments with high rates of injuries and illnesses informing them that they may be selected for an inspection. These high-rate letters urged establishments with fewer than 250 employees to contact the On-Site Consultation Program (OSC).
 
This document reports the results of an evaluation of the extent to which receipt of the high-rate letter increases requests for OSC consultations. The U.S. Department of Labor Chief Evaluation Office (DOL/CEO) asked Abt to explore this relationship as part of an ongoing contract to evaluate the effect of marketing on demand for OSC services. The exploratory results presented in this document provide preliminary evidence that the high-rate letter increases requests for OSC consultations.

Access the research brief. Download the full report.