Fewer OSHA inspections conducted in 1996

The number of inspections conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fell 19% in fiscal year 1996, to 23,597 inspections. The total in 1995 was 29,113.

The 1996 figure represents the lowest number of OSHA inspections ever, the agency reports. Serious violations dropped 40.2%. The number of significant and egregious cases, each with proposed penalties over $100,000, rose from 125 in 1995 to 165 in 1996.