7: Flagship Initiative: Online Enforcement Database

Provide the public access to enforcement data.

Other Information:

While we continue to move forward on many projects that incorporate elements of transparency, participation, and collaboration we are particularly excited to announce our flagship initiative, the Department of Labor Online Enforcement Database, which will support our goals to ensure safe, healthy, and secure workplaces. Version 1.0 of this database is now available online and provides the public with access to enforcement data collected by Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and Wage and Hour Division (WHD) in one location and searchable along a series of common dimensions. In addition to the added value of access to aggregate enforcement data, this database also provides access to a variety of previously unpublished enforcement information. Prior to this public database, only OSHA and MSHA made their enforcement data available online. For other DOL agencies, accessing this data required submitting requests directly to the agencies and waiting for a response, which can often be frustrating and discouraging. In some cases, accessing the data would have required submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. In addition, once an individual had all the data they’d requested, there was no easy way to cross-reference it. The new DOL Searchable Enforcement Database provides a single, easy to search, point of entry to the Department’s enforcement records. The launch of this database is an important step in the implementation of Open Government at DOL. In the spirit of transparency, we believe it is important to open access to this information as soon as possible to aid in our mission of promoting workplace safety and protecting workers. This project is a reflection of our commitment to the principles of an open government and over the course of the next few months we will provide additional updates and functionality to meet the anticipated needs of our users. Additional features under consideration will: • Increase transparency by allowing access to the raw data files and enabling more user-specific search results. • Promote participation by encouraging public feedback in prioritizing new features and functionality. • Encourage collaboration by offering contests or prizes that highlight innovative ways that the public is using, visualizing or mashing up the data. We very much want the public to play an active role in the development of this project and encourage feedback about how they are using the data, what features they would like to see added, and how we can improve the site overall.

Stakeholder(s):

• Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)


• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)


• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)


• Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)


• Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Objective(s):

1

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