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OSHA inspector ranks fell sharply before projected 2026 increase, agency says - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers OSHA inspector ranks fell sharply before projected 2026 increase, agency says by Louise Esola Regulation , Workplace Safety Feb 18, 2026 The number of workplace safety inspectors with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration dropped markedly over the past year, before an anticipated staffing increase in 2026 that includes federal staff and personnel working under state plans, according to agency data. OSHA reported 629 federal compliance safety and health officers as of Sept. 30, 2025, down from 812 at the end of fiscal 2024. The agency listed 878 such officers at the end of fiscal 2023, 892 at the end of fiscal 2022 and 750 at the end of fiscal 2021, according to data provided by an OSHA spokeswoman in response to a Jan. 29 report by the U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Inspector General. The report, which highlighted problems with OSHA’s decline in worksite investigators, cited a decrease in federal inspectors from February 2024 to June 2025, followed by an anticipated increase in 2026 to approximately 1,720 inspectors covering about 144 million workers. The 2026 projection reflects the agency’s overall enforcement footprint and includes inspectors in state-plan programs, not just federal staff, the OSHA spokeswoman wrote. “OSHA seeks to focus its inspection resources on the most hazardous workplaces, and we continue to look for ways to work efficiently and help employers with compliance assistance, while fully maintaining our enforcement responsibilities,” she wrote. Staffing levels can shape how quickly the agency responds and how it allocates inspection activity, even as employers’ underlying exposure persists, said two lawyers who represent employers in OSHA matters. The steep decline in federal inspectors underscores the practical constraints OSHA faces, said Eric Conn, a founding partner of law firm Conn Maciel Carey. “When staffing is down, the agency has to make choices about where to deploy limited resources,” said Mr. Conn, who is based in Washington. “That can mean a greater focus on the most serious events — fatalities, catastrophes and complaints — while other programmed activity may be harder to sustain.” Employers should not read fewer inspectors as a reason to relax safety efforts, said Andrew Brought, a Kansas City, Missouri-based partner with law firm Spencer Fane. “Even with fewer inspectors, OSHA still has the ability to open significant cases, and enforcement can be highly targeted,” Mr. Brought said. “One inspection can lead to multiple citations, repeat classifications and costly abatement obligations.” Falls remain a “priority” as OSHA balances enforcement and prevention efforts, the spokeswoman wrote. Falls continue to be a leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries, and OSHA launched a national emphasis program in 2023 to identify and reduce fall hazards for work at heights. That program remains in effect, and the OSHA spokeswoman wrote that it “uncovered and worked to ensure correction of nearly 13,000 violations in fiscal year 2025” as part of a multipronged approach that includes enforcement, outreach and training. Fall protection enforcement is a persistent theme for employers in construction and general industry, Mr. Brought said. “It’s an area where OSHA has longstanding standards, clear expectations and a track record of citations,” he said. OSHA’s inspector headcount should not distract from day-to-day risk controls, Mr. Conn said. “From a business standpoint, the better question is whether employers have the systems in place — training, documentation, hazard identification — to prevent serious incidents,” he said. OSHA, for its part, framed its goals around results rather than staffing totals. “OSHA is committed to keeping workers safe by taking a balanced approach — valuing partnerships and compliance assistance as important strategies alongside traditional enforcement,” the spokeswoman wrote. 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