| dc.contributor.advisor |
Wang, Hong |
|
| dc.contributor.author |
Nicks, Michael |
|
| dc.date.accessioned |
2009-05-20T20:02:01Z |
|
| dc.date.available |
2009-05-20T20:02:01Z |
|
| dc.date.issued |
2009-05-20T20:02:01Z |
|
| dc.identifier.uri |
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/34709 |
|
| dc.description |
Date original created: Nov. 14, 2008. This file was last viewed in Adobe Reader 8.0. |
en |
| dc.description.abstract |
To ensure that U.S. employers protect employees from occupational hazards,
OSHA is authorized to conduct workplace inspections. Employees have the legal right to
initiate an OSHA inspection predicated on occupational hazards.
The study employed a survey research design utilizing data from OSHA?s IMIS.
The sample consisted of 304 programmed inspections and 285 employee-initiated
complaint inspections in the state of Wisconsin for the period of June 23, 2006 to June
23, 2007, inclusive. Five independent variables were examined: 1) type of inspection, 2)
establishment union status, 3) establishment size, 4) type of complaint inspection, and 5)
the establishment SIC code. Six dependent variables were examined: 1) mean number of
violations per inspection, 2) mean monetary penalty per violation, 3) mean monetary
penalty per inspection, 4) mean number of hours spent on inspection activities, 5) mean
percent monetary penalty reduction, and 6) mean percent informal conference
participation. It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences between
each level of each independent variable with reference to each dependent variable.
It was found that the mean informal conference participation percentage was
significantly higher for programmed inspections (87.8%) than for employee-initiated
complaint inspections (80.8%). It was found that the mean number of hours spent on
inspection activities was significantly higher at unionized establishments (39.3 hours)
than non-unionized establishments (29.4 hours). It was found that small establishments
(less than 100 employees) had a significantly higher mean number of violations per
inspection (6.5 violations) and significantly lower mean monetary penalties per violation
ix
($302.53) than medium-sized establishments (between 100 and 500 employees) [2.7
violations and $578.59, respectively] and large establishments (more than 500
employees) [2.0 violations and $527.13, respectively] and that large establishments had
significantly lower mean percent monetary penalty reductions (47.3%) than small
establishments (34.8%). It was found that the mean number of violations per inspection
was significantly higher for employee-initiated health-complaint inspections (4.8
violations) than for employee-initiated safety-complaint inspections (3.5 violations), that
the mean monetary penalty per violation was significantly higher for employee-initiated
safety-complaint inspections ($568.64) than for employee-initiated health-complaint
inspections ($278.23), and that the mean number of hours spent on inspection activities
was significantly higher for employee-initiated health-complaint inspections (37.5 hours)
than for employee-initiated safety-complaint inspections (27.8 hours). It was found that
manufacturing establishments had significantly lower mean percent monetary penalty
reductions (35.2%) than transportation, communications, electric, gas, and sanitary
services establishments (63.9%) and that retail trade establishments had significantly
lower mean percent monetary penalty reductions (35.1%) than transportation,
communications, electric, gas, and sanitary services establishments (63.9%).
A qualitative comparison was utilized to construct possible strategies to prevent
or mitigate employee-initiated complaints for the three independent variables that can
easily be influenced by an employer: type of inspection, union status, and type of
employee-initiated complaint inspection. |
en |
| dc.description.provenance |
Submitted by Mary Brusewitz (brusewim@mail.uww.edu) on 2009-05-13T18:16:57Z
No. of bitstreams: 1
Michael Nicks' Master Degree Thesis.pdf: 592740 bytes, checksum: a2072f8cf3efae4bc24fe3aae933fd21 (MD5) |
en |
| dc.description.provenance |
Approved for entry into archive by Dianne Witte(witted@uww.edu) on 2009-05-20T20:02:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1
Michael Nicks' Master Degree Thesis.pdf: 592740 bytes, checksum: a2072f8cf3efae4bc24fe3aae933fd21 (MD5) |
en |
| dc.description.provenance |
Made available in DSpace on 2009-05-20T20:02:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1
Michael Nicks' Master Degree Thesis.pdf: 592740 bytes, checksum: a2072f8cf3efae4bc24fe3aae933fd21 (MD5) |
en |
| dc.language.iso |
en_US |
en |
| dc.subject |
United States. Occupational Safety and Health Administration--Rules and practice |
en |
| dc.subject |
Complaints (Administrative procedure)--Wisconsin--Evaluation |
en |
| dc.subject |
Labor inspection--Wisconsin |
en |
| dc.title |
Characteristics of employee-initiated complaint inspections occurring in Wisconsin |
en |
| dc.type |
Thesis |
en |
