Disappearing Cal-OSHA Inspection Reports

11 Responses

1. Disappearing Cal-OSHA Inspection Reports http://t.co/3Oi0VCtXmf

2. Lurking Reader mentioned this same exact scenario of vanishing reports with a few companies about a week or so ago… I can’t remember the companies though?

   @Lurk –
   Did the vanishing reports ever show back up or were they permanently removed? The question now is how does one go about getting OSHA reports to vanish? Maybe because Evil Angel isn’t a “production company,” but a “distribution company?” I wonder if they can fight to get the OSHA report removed since there is *technically* no “inspection” of working conditions required to take place other than just reviewing paperwork, 2257 forms, etc.?

   Whether reports are available to the public or not doesn’t change the fact that the report is still officially included in OSHA databases…

3. OMG!!! It has officially happened to me. I read it so fast, I didn’t realize Lurking Reader had posted this…
   Hahahahahhaa.

   Ok. So, disregard half of my post above. (Damn, I feel like a fucking moron.) 😉

4. We’ll can we see ya copy of the state report pleeease?
   Thanks Mike

5. @Ricco

   The information posted above was copied from OSHA site doing a search for SIC 7812 on February 4,2014 (except last kink activity number which is from a scribd document linked at a news site)

   It was pasted directly into excel spreadsheet for my own purposes of data analysis.

   So in short…no you can’t see the actual report until OSHA answers the questions about the mysterious disappearance of these documents. On Monday if I am stonewalled again I will file a FOIA and if necessary I’m pissed enough about this to start making noise from Ohio and reaching out to people I developed policy with in Florida too.

6. @Lacey

   These are the same as business filings at the state or arrest records…a public document. Even if a lawyer had them removed from public view for some cause they would have to go to court to have a FOIA for these numbered documents to be suppressed.

   I know for a fact that Sx is available on the internal server at Cal-OSHA because it was supposedly reverted to public viewing on February 9th.

   The data above is correct as previously posted on OSHA site and anyone who doubts this is free to use the data to file your own FOIA and/or call CAL/OSHA for an explanation.

7. Good job Lurking reader!

8. LurkingReader: Over the years, I’ve filed a ton of FOIA requests – never to OSHA, but with the Department of Justice and other federal agencies. They will eventually respond to your request – even if the material is redacted in some form. However, don’t expect it to happen any time soon. It once took the FBI four years to respond to my FOIA on a matter that was widely litigated in the courts and even resulted in an act of Congress. By the time I got the report, I’d long moved on to other stories.

   For what its worth, I’ve never dealt with OSHA’s public information folks in the context of reporting. But, a year or so ago, I was trying to get info on an industrial accident at the plant of a Fortune 500 company. I knew that OSHA had investigated the accident because the initial news report on the accident indicated that the company was refusing to comment pending the outcome of the OSHA investigation. I’ll be damned if I was ever able to find a report – and I’m pretty good a negotiating government web sites.

   This incident involved a plant that made pet food – dog and cat food. All I’m getting at is that I wouldn’t read anything nefarious about porn into the disappearance of the records. I don’t know how OSHA makes decisions about what it posts publicly and what it doesn’t post, but I know that getting info out of them can be tough.

   File a FOIA – make sure you follow the rules – and appeal if at first blush they turn you down.

9. @BT

   Hear ya on the slow, stop and reverse process of FOIA. Left a msg with Siggins and didn’t hear back and found something very interesting.

   Requests for inspection of public records:
   Requests may be made in person at any DIR office, by email, mail, telephone or fax. DIR encourages requesters to submit their requests in writing to avoid miscommunication regarding the records being sought, and to help ensure that the requesters get the records as soon as possible. Unless made in person, requests should be submitted to [email protected].
   In order for DIR to locate the requested records, the request must clearly describe an identifiable record. DIR is available to assist in formulating the request. Whenever possible, a request should provide the following information:
   names of the people, places and/or things the records involve,
   the period of time for which the records are being sought, and
   the office, division, branch or section of DIR that created or maintains the records.
   If a request is made for records in electronic format, and DIR maintains them in electronic format, DIR will produce them in the electronic format in which it maintains them.
   Response:
   Some simple requests can be satisfied immediately. For most requests, DIR requires up to ten days to notify the requester whether DIR has responsive records, when they will be available for inspection, the cost of providing copies, and whether any of the records contain information that is exempt from inspection. Under some circumstances, DIR requires an additional 14 days to make those initial determinations.

   Now I initially called the High Hazard Office and simply asked if there was a reason these reports were no longer available. The lady named Shirley was very helpful when she took all the information from me then promptly called me back and told me one of the reports was available on “OSHA VIEW” and that she flagged it for public viewing but could not find the others I asked about. Transfer to her boss “who will explain everything to me” Clement Hsieh tells me I’m on speaker with Senior ? Gene Murphy present. Now that I’m on speaker and his hands are free to take the info he doesn’t want it. Instead he asks if I’ve spoken with the PIO.

   Lol I’ll play. Forwarding the email I sent to PIO (who wasn’t available after an oh so careful prescreening today 🙂 to the address listed. I’ll also link to this post. This isn’t my first rodeo…I won’t speculate on why those reports disappeared…the mere fact that they did is an issue. Let’s see what happens in 2 weeks…by then I’m sure I’ll be speculating and so will everyone else.

10. Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear squat within the time frame. The simple fact is that most agencies respond when they respond, not according to the posted time frame. They do so because they know you don’t have a lot of alternatives to stonewalling. Often, the first response is a denial of the request – which constitutes a response. You then have to appeal. Its the reason news agencies so often have to file lawsuits.

    What I’ve never understood is why – often, the information is just a bunch of stuff that doesn’t tell you much anyway.

    The bigger point is that in the case of OSHA, don’t think that disappearing records reflects corruption – that porn got to OSHA. Its very difficult to find OSHA violations against any company with specificity.

11. That’s the point BT I’m not looking for anything beyond what’s there, couldn’t care less what the data says only that once the data disappeared it pissed me off mightily.

    Wtf? If I’m looking at data I’m not trying to look at half of it and get info.