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

32 Pages Posted: 21 Mar 2000

See all articles by David Weil

David Weil

Brandeis University - The Heller School for Social Policy and Management; Harvard Kennedy School Ash Institute for Democracy

Date Written: July 1999

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.

JEL Classification: J28, K32, L51, L74

Suggested Citation

Weil, David, The Impact of Osha Enforcement on Regulatory Compliance in the U.S. Construction Industry (July 1999). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=171653 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.171653

David Weil (Contact Author)

Brandeis University - The Heller School for Social Policy and Management ( email )

P.O. Box 549110/MS 035
415 South Street
Waltham, MA 02454
United States

Harvard Kennedy School Ash Institute for Democracy ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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