New studies on workplace injury and illness underreporting, new interventions to address underreporting: What have we learned, and what else is needed?

In October, 2009 the Government Accountability Office released a report titled, “Workplace Safety and Health: Enhancing OSHA Records Audit Process Could Improve Accuracy of Worker Injury and Illness Data.” This GAO investigation found that over two-thirds of injured workers feared employer discipline or losing their jobs if they reported their work-related injuries; over one-half of occupational health practitioners said they were pressured to downplay an injury to avoid it being an OSHA Recordable; and one-third of occupational health practitioners said they were pressured by employers to provide insufficient treatment to injured workers. In October, 2010, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis stated, “We are concerned about the widespread existence of programs that discourage workers from reporting injuries…” The same month, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Dr. David Michaels stated, “If accurate records are not compiled because workers believe they will be fired or disciplined for reporting an injury, or supervisors feel they will lose their bonuses if workers report injuries, real safety is not being achieved. Accurate workplace injury and illness records are vital tools for identifying hazards and protecting workers' health and safety.” In 2012 the GAO is expected to release a follow-up report on workplace injury/illness underreporting. This presentation will assess what has changed in two to three years, in part by exploring the results of the follow-up GAO report and in part by analyzing other developments in characterizing and addressing the problem of workplace injury/illness underreporting.