Report: Companies Not Reporting All Injuries

SAM HANANEL

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some employers are pressuring workers not to report illnesses and injuries, just one problem that has led to widespread underreporting of workplace safety issues, according to congressional investigators.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors often didn't interview workers to verify what employers claim when keeping tabs on accident and illness rates, the Government Accountability Office report released Monday states.

The report said workplace injuries and illnesses went unreported because companies pressured employees to withhold the information, and about a third of health providers said they were pressured to withhold medical treatment so companies could avoid filing reports with OSHA.

The GAO report said OSHA could catch some of the underreporting by properly auditing employer records and not relying solely on employer data.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said Monday she will move swiftly to correct the problems highlighted in the GAO report.

"Many of the problems identified in the report are quite alarming and OSHA will be taking strong enforcement action where we find underreporting," Solis said.