State Profiles Sources and Notes

Number of Employees
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Wages: Annual Averages, 2019.

State or Federal OSHA Program
Under §18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, a state may elect to run its own occupational safety and health program, provided it is as effective as the federal program. One condition of operating a state plan is that the program must cover state and local employees who otherwise are not covered by the OSH Act. Currently, 21 states and one territory administer their own OSHA programs for both public and private sector workers. Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York and the Virgin Islands have state programs for public employees only.

State Rank
Ranking based on best to worst (1=best; 50=worst).

Workplace Fatalities and Fatality Rate
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2019, released Dec. 16, 2020.

Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Rate
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2019 private sector only, released Nov. 4, 2020.

Workplace Safety and Health Inspectors
U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA. Federal Compliance Safety and Health Officer Totals by State, as of December 2020; data received March 12, 2021. State plan state Compliance Safety and Health Officers “on board” from FY 2020 State Plan Grant Applications, as of July 1, 2020; data received Jan. 21, 2021.

OSH Act Penalties Assessed
U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA. Inspection data and fatality inspection penalty data provided by the Directorate of Enforcement Programs, OIS Inspection Report; and the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, OIS State by Year for 18(b) State (only). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, safety agencies conducted fewer field operations and less enforcement in FY 2020.