Occupational safety and health inspection scores predict rates of workers' lost-time injuries

This study examined statistical relationships between safety inspection scores and occupational injury rates among civilian employees in 11 types of United States Navy shore facilities ranging from shipyards to research and development centers. The study's results indicate that workplace inspection scores are significantly predictive of lost-time injury rates, even in the presence of statistical controls for differences in facility characteristics. Further, these results suggest that even a 1% improvement in these facilities' safety inspection scores would yield an expected 1% decrease in the rate of severe injuries. Although this is a very small decrease in the injury rate, the number of civilian workers at these Navy shore facilities is so large, and the average cost of such injuries is so great, that the reduction in total injury costs would be nearly $2 million per year. These data suggest that periodic, comprehensive safety inspections can be rewarded with lower rates of occupational lost-time injuries.