Who we are

We are the Bureau of Labor Statistics/Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (BLS/OSHS) unit, part of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) and contracted with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). We’re part of the WSLH’s Occupational Health Division, which also includes the occupational health laboratory (WOHL) and the safety and health consultation program (WisCon).

 

What we do

Our group holds a cooperative agreement with the BLS to collect occupational injury, illness and fatality data for the State of Wisconsin. The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) are conducted annually. The data from these collections are unique and produced solely by the BLS and its allied programs, such as our program at the WSLH. We conduct analyses of the data published and disseminate educational materials through media outlets and safety conferences. We fulfill specific data requests for public and private stakeholders. We also provide OSHA recordkeeping training for employer representatives within the state.

 

We are not OSHA

Though our SOII collection utilizes OSHA recordkeeping as a standard for reporting work-related injuries and illnesses, we are not affiliated with OSHA. Per Public Law 91-596, we are tasked with gathering this data, which we analyze and publish on behalf of the federal BLS. We do not enforce safety regulations, nor do we share establishments’ data or personal identifiable information with OSHA or other agencies. The OSH in our program’s name simply refers to occupational safety and health and relates to the type of data we collect.

 

How our information is used

Our collections and analyses can serve a wide variety of purposes, including:
• Creating and forming the foundation for legislation and policy
• Providing employers with injury and illness data to compare their establishments’ rates against those in their industries
• Helping to determine insurance rates for sampled industries
• Compiling work fatality data to aid in developing prevention programs

 

Please contact us at (800) 884-1273 or email Jameson Bair, Occupational Safety Analyst and the lead of the BLS Occupational Safety and Health collections.