The Impact of OSHA Enforcement on Regulatory Compliance in the U.S. Construction Industry

Abstract

This study examines OSHA's ability to improve compliance with health and safety standards by means of enforcement at construction work sites. It examines the relation of enforcement activity on compliance in two segments of the industry: construction contractors in the U.S., consisting of 2060 very large-scale companies operating at a national level; and for 3900 mid-sized contractors operating primarily at a regional level. Using longitudinal samples for both segments, the paper examines how contractor compliance with safety and health standards changes as a result of OSHA enforcement pressure at the company- and site-level. Despite the relatively high level of inspection resources devoted to the sectors, we find that OSHA enforcement has only a modest impact on changing compliance with health and safety standards for both groups of contractors, with most OSHA effects concentrated on the first inspections conducted at a work site.