OSHA customers satisfied but have a few suggestions, reports survey

December 17, 2001—A recent Gallup survey of nearly 2,500 workers, employers, and OSHA stakeholders who had direct contact with OSHA this past year found customers very satisfied or satisfied with their dealings with the agency. The survey indicated that OSHA met the four interim customer satisfaction goals for Fiscal Year 2000 set by its strategic plan and achieved the final (2002) levels for two goals:

1. The 2000 Target for Goal #1 “Workers/employers rate compliance assistance useful” was 65%; 2000 Actual level was 92.6%, exceeding the Final 2002 Target of 90%.
2. The 2000 Target for Goal #2 “Workers at sites with OSHA interventions satisfied with their involvement in the intervention” was 65%; 2000 Actual level was 86.2%, close to the Final 2002 Target of 90%.
3. The 2000 Target for Goal #3 “Workers/employers rate OSHA staff professionalism, competence, and knowledge as satisfactory” was 60%; 2000 Actual level was 87.2%, exceeding the Final 2002 Target of 85%.
4. The 2000 Target for Goal #4 “OSHA stakeholders and partners rate their involvement in stakeholder/partnership process as positive” was 75%; 2000 Actual level was 87.6%, close to the Final 2002 Target of 95%.

The Gallup Organization survey of OSHA customers also found that:

• 94% of workers and 84% of employers involved in inspections were either very satisfied or satisfied with OSHA staff professionalism.
• More than 95% of businesses that received free consultations were satisfied with the help they received.
• 98% of employers in OSHA partnerships found agency staff knowledgeable about OSHA rules and regulations.

Based on customer responses, OSHA has identified several areas to work on. The survey found that workers were less likely to be satisfied with phone/fax investigations, where OSHA contacts employers by phone to report complaints and receives a faxed response. If the response is satisfactory, the agency takes no further action. Instead, workers would prefer more on-site inspections, more follow-up visits, and a swifter response. Both employers and workers wanted inspectors to be more familiar with their specific industries. Small businesses wanted a speedier response to their request for consultations and would prefer annual consultations. Other requests from those surveyed included calls for greater involvement of stakeholders, more partnership, and more information, education, and training.

A .pdf file of the complete results of the survey is available from OSHA.