OSHA has implemented the OSHA Weighting System (OWS) for fiscal year (FY) 2020. According to the agency, the new system replaces a system that was initiated in FY 2015, and it will "encourage the appropriate allocation of resources to support OSHA’s balanced approach of promoting safe and healthy workplaces, and continue to develop and support a management system that focuses enforcement activities on critical and strategic areas where the agency’s efforts can have the most impact."
OSHA weights certain inspections based on the time taken to complete the inspection or, in some cases, the impact of the inspection on workplace safety and health. "The new system recognizes that time is not the only factor to assess when considering the potential impact of an inspection," the agency says. "Other factors, such as types of hazards inspected and abated, and effective targeting, also influence the impact on workplace safety and health." The new system adds enforcement initiatives such as site-specific targeting to the weighting system.
OWS became effective Oct. 1, 2019.