Download OSHA’s list of troubled employers

The list of 12,500 workplaces with the highest occupational injury and illness rates (see story, p. 65) is available on the Web site of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Washington, DC. You can download the data for free and have a list of prime marketing targets in your area.

Be prepared to do a little work to make it happen. If possible, get help from someone familiar with downloading material from the Internet and opening compressed files.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Go to the list at http://www.osha-slc.gov/html/hot_2.html.

2. Follow the directions on the page exactly to download the file.

3. Open the file with any spreadsheet or data-base program. Be sure to select "dBASE" or ".dbf" as the file type when loading it. OSHA says you can use Lotus 1-2-3, Approach, Microsoft Access, Excel, Works, WordPerfect, Paradox, Quattro Pro, dBASE III, or any other compatible application.

4. Find the portion of the list applicable to your community.