OSHA has launched a survey of safety and health practices of private sector employers "as a tool toward better designing future rules, compliance assistance and outreach efforts."  OSHA is surveying as many as 19,000 employers nationwide of all sizes and in all industries.  Recipients of the survey can complete it either in hard copy form or electronically.

It is expected that the "Baseline Survey of Safety and Health Practices" will be used primarily to compile information about existing employers’ use of safety and health management systems, including who manages safety and whether annual evaluations are undertaken.  This, in turn, will be helpful to the Agency in pursuing its Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) rule.  It also may be used to support other OSHA rulemakings in the future.  OSHA has stated that the survey will not be used for enforcement and will be anonymous.