How Many Inspections Federal OSHA Conducted in Fiscal Year 2026
Original analysis of 365,450 records from OSHA, FY2015–FY2026 (federal fiscal years, Oct–Sep; FY2026 partial). Published October 19, 2026.
We counted every inspection opened by a federal OSHA office from fiscal 2015 through fiscal 2026, using the same scope as the federal totals OSHA publishes, which our method matches within 0.20% for fiscal 2024.
What OSHA's Enforcement Records Show
Federal OSHA opened at least 21,506 workplace inspections in fiscal year 2026 (October 2025 through September 2026), according to OSHA's enforcement records released on October 16, 2026. That is 8,770 fewer than the 30,276 we count for fiscal 2025. The figure is a lower bound: the records run only through September 23, 2026, and October 2025, a month with a lapse in federal appropriations, shows 383 inspections.
- 21.5KFederal OSHA inspections, FY2026 (partial count)
- 30.3KFederal OSHA inspections, FY2025 (our count)
- −15%Change Dec–Jun, FY2026 vs. FY2025
At least 21,506 federal inspections in FY2026
Federal OSHA offices opened 21,506 inspections between October 1, 2025, and September 23, 2026, the last opening date in the current release. OSHA has not yet published its own total for the year.
October and November 2025 fell sharply
Federal offices opened 1,431 inspections in October and November 2025, compared with 5,429 in the same two months a year earlier, a drop of 73.6%. October 2025 alone shows 383, against 3,266 in October 2024.
Lower even outside the shutdown months
In the months from December through June, after the October 2025 funding lapse and well before the release date, federal OSHA opened 15,365 inspections in fiscal 2026, against 18,090 in fiscal 2025, a decline of 15.1%.
Fiscal 2025 was already lower
Our count for fiscal 2025, which OSHA has not published, is 30,276, which is 12.6% below the 34,626 we count for fiscal 2024.
Texas had the most federal inspections
Worksites in Texas accounted for 2,232 federal inspections in fiscal 2026. The five states with the most federal inspections together account for 42.6% of the total, a ranking that does not adjust for workforce size and is shaped by whether federal OSHA or a state plan covers private-sector workplaces.
How Many OSHA Inspections Are Conducted Per Year
Federal OSHA offices opened between 32,205 and 36,041 inspections a year in fiscal 2015 through fiscal 2019. Fiscal 2026 is still incomplete in the data.
Federal OSHA opened 34,626 inspections in fiscal 2024, 30,276 in fiscal 2025 and at least 21,506 in fiscal 2026.
OSHA publishes one annual figure for its federal enforcement on its Commonly Used Statistics page: "FY 2024 total federal inspections: 34,696". Applied to the same year, our count is 34,626, within 0.20% of OSHA's number. For fiscal 2023 our count of 34,223 is within 0.13% of the figure OSHA published then.
For the two years since, OSHA's page carries no total. On the same definition, the enforcement records show 30,276 federal inspections in fiscal 2025 and 21,506 so far for fiscal 2026, 37.9% below fiscal 2024. Because the fiscal 2026 count is incomplete, that gap will narrow as OSHA adds late records.
The series counts federal OSHA offices only. Inspections by states that run their own OSHA-approved plans are excluded here, as they are from OSHA's federal total.
Federal OSHA inspections by fiscal year
| Year | Inspections | Change |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 21,506 | −29.0% |
| FY2025 | 30,276 | −12.6% |
| FY2024 | 34,626 | 1.2% |
| FY2023 | 34,223 | 7.5% |
| FY2022 | 31,827 | 30.3% |
| FY2021 | 24,421 | 11.7% |
| FY2020 | 21,860 | −34.9% |
| FY2019 | 33,597 | 4.2% |
| FY2018 | 32,257 | −1.1% |
| FY2017 | 32,611 | 1.3% |
| FY2016 | 32,205 | −10.6% |
| FY2015 | 36,041 | — |
Fiscal years run October through September. FY2026 is a partial count through the last opening date in the release.
How OSHA Inspections in 2026 Compare Month by Month
The monthly counts show where fiscal 2026 fell behind: a near standstill in October 2025, a slow November, and lower numbers in most months that followed.
Federal OSHA opened 383 inspections in October 2025, against 3,266 in October 2024; from December through June the year ran 15.1% below fiscal 2025.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that it "could not collect October 2025 reference period survey data due to a lapse in appropriations." OSHA's inspection openings in that month were 383, compared with 3,266 in October 2024. October and November together came to 1,431, against 5,429 a year earlier.
The funding lapse does not account for the rest of the gap. In the seven months from December through June, federal offices opened 15,365 inspections, 15.1% fewer than the 18,090 in the same months of fiscal 2025. The records do not say why fewer inspections were opened.
The last months of the year are the least complete. September 2026 shows 889 inspections through September 23, 2026, against 1,834 for all of September 2025; July and August may also rise as OSHA enters late records.
Federal OSHA inspections opened per month, FY2026
- October 2025383FY2025: 3,266 · FY2024: 3,543
- November 20251,048FY2025: 2,163 · FY2024: 3,057
- December 20251,619FY2025: 1,944 · FY2024: 2,236
- January 20262,009FY2025: 2,334 · FY2024: 2,683
- February 20262,309FY2025: 2,503 · FY2024: 3,013
- March 20262,721FY2025: 3,332 · FY2024: 2,907
- April 20262,556FY2025: 2,909 · FY2024: 3,082
- May 20261,992FY2025: 2,441 · FY2024: 3,113
- June 20262,159FY2025: 2,627 · FY2024: 3,119
- July 20262,029FY2025: 2,590 · FY2024: 2,801
- August 20261,792FY2025: 2,333 · FY2024: 2,986
- September 2026889FY2025: 1,834 · FY2024: 2,086
Month of the inspection opening date. FY2026 months run from October 2025 to September 2026.
Which States Had the Most Federal OSHA Inspections in 2026
Federal inspections are concentrated in states where federal OSHA covers private-sector workplaces. The ranking counts inspections only and does not adjust for the number of workers or worksites in a state.
Texas led with 2,232 federal inspections in fiscal 2026; 23 of the 32 states with at least 50 inspections in the December–June comparison months saw fewer than a year earlier.
Federal OSHA recorded inspections at worksites in 52 states and territories in fiscal 2026. Texas accounted for 2,232, and the five states with the most federal inspections together for 42.6% of the total.
States whose OSHA-approved state plan covers private-sector workers appear with small federal counts because their own agencies carry out most inspections there; those state inspections are not part of this count. To avoid the shutdown months and the incomplete end of the year, the change column compares December through June of each fiscal year. Of the 32 states with at least 50 federal inspections in those months of fiscal 2025, 23 had fewer in fiscal 2026.
Federal OSHA inspections by state, FY2026
| State | FY2026 | Dec–Jun 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 2,232 | 1,675 | −20.9% |
| PA | 1,972 | 1,406 | −10.4% |
| FL | 1,951 | 1,433 | −18.0% |
| NY | 1,511 | 1,051 | −16.9% |
| IL | 1,503 | 1,012 | −31.0% |
| OH | 1,351 | 947 | −23.2% |
| NJ | 1,345 | 1,072 | 10.7% |
| MA | 1,190 | 778 | −7.0% |
| GA | 1,121 | 846 | −14.5% |
| WI | 936 | 658 | −23.5% |
| MO | 618 | 452 | −22.5% |
| CO | 592 | 380 | 4.1% |
| AL | 570 | 439 | 5.5% |
| CT | 446 | 270 | −4.9% |
| OK | 389 | 259 | −18.0% |
All 52 states and territories
| State | FY2026 | Dec–Jun 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 352 | 248 | −31.9% |
| RI | 290 | 200 | −20.0% |
| WV | 253 | 191 | 13.0% |
| NH | 239 | 151 | 4.1% |
| ND | 221 | 141 | −10.2% |
| LA | 208 | 154 | −23.4% |
| NE | 202 | 150 | −18.0% |
| ID | 198 | 111 | −17.2% |
| SD | 190 | 131 | −19.6% |
| CA | 186 | 136 | 8.8% |
| MT | 185 | 138 | 30.2% |
| DE | 182 | 119 | −25.6% |
| AR | 152 | 124 | 33.3% |
| ME | 146 | 99 | −20.2% |
| MS | 145 | 110 | 2.8% |
| DC | 82 | 74 | −20.4% |
| AZ | 74 | 58 | — |
| AK | 73 | 58 | −1.7% |
| WA | 60 | 47 | — |
| NC | 53 | 36 | — |
| GU | 46 | 40 | — |
| OR | 40 | 32 | — |
| VI | 35 | 34 | — |
| PR | 34 | 20 | — |
| VA | 27 | 16 | — |
| SC | 20 | 14 | — |
| AS | 13 | 13 | — |
| NV | 12 | 8 | — |
| HI | 11 | 5 | — |
| MP | 10 | 0 | — |
| MD | 9 | 7 | — |
| IA | 8 | 8 | — |
| NM | 7 | 4 | — |
| IN | 6 | 5 | — |
| MI | 4 | 2 | — |
| MN | 3 | 2 | — |
| TN | 3 | 1 | — |
State of the inspected worksite. Change compares December–June FY2026 with December–June FY2025; it is left blank for states with fewer than 50 inspections in the earlier period.
How This Count Compares With OSHA's Published Totals
Before counting fiscal 2026, we applied the same method to the two most recent years for which OSHA published a federal total.
Our method reproduces OSHA's published federal totals within 0.20% for fiscal 2024 and 0.13% for fiscal 2023.
OSHA's page reports "FY 2024 total federal inspections: 34,696"; an archived version from June 2024 reports "FY 2023 total federal inspections: 34,267". Our counts for those years are 34,626 and 34,223.
The small remaining difference is consistent with records being added, corrected or deleted after OSHA compiled its figures. It also shows that the fiscal 2026 count, taken only weeks after the year ended, is the earliest and least complete version of that year's number.
Our count vs. OSHA's published federal totals
| Year | Our count | OSHA | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 34,626 | 34,696 | −0.20% |
| FY2023 | 34,223 | 34,267 | −0.13% |
Download the Data and Cite This Study
Every table as a CSV file and in one Excel workbook, a short PDF summary and every chart as an image, free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0).
- Federal OSHA inspections by fiscal yearFederal OSHA inspections opened per federal fiscal year, FY2015–FY2026, with FY2026 marked partial. · 12 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- Federal OSHA inspections by month, FY2024–FY2026Federal OSHA inspections opened in each month of fiscal years 2024, 2025 and 2026. · 12 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- Federal OSHA inspections by state, FY2026Federal OSHA inspections opened in FY2026 by worksite state, with a December–June comparison against FY2025. · 52 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- Calibration against OSHA's published totalsOur federal inspection counts for FY2023 and FY2024 next to the totals OSHA published. · 2 rows · CSV, 1 KB
- All tables in one Excel workbookOne sheet per table plus an About sheet with sources, method and citation · Excel (.xlsx), 13 KB
- Summary to print or forward (3 pages)Short answer, key figures, main chart, findings, method and citation · PDF, 210 KB
Charts for your story
Federal OSHA inspections by fiscal year
Embed this chart
Federal OSHA inspections opened per month, FY2026
Embed this chart
Federal OSHA inspections by state, FY2026
Embed this chart
How to cite
Goldberg, L. (2026). Federal OSHA Inspections — counts by fiscal year, month and state (FY2015–FY2026, FY2026 partial) [Data set]. Settlement Insight. https://settlementinsight.com/research/federal-osha-inspections-fiscal-2026
BibTeX
@dataset{goldberg_2026_federal_osha_inspections_fiscal_2026,
author = {Goldberg, Leonard},
title = {Federal OSHA Inspections --- counts by fiscal year, month and state (FY2015--FY2026, FY2026 partial)},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Settlement Insight},
url = {https://settlementinsight.com/research/federal-osha-inspections-fiscal-2026}
}How We Measured
Checked against published figures
- Total federal OSHA inspections, fiscal year 2024 (Oct 2023–Sep 2024): published 34,696, our count 34,626 (0.20% apart).OSHA Commonly Used Statistics
- Total federal OSHA inspections, fiscal year 2023 (Oct 2022–Sep 2023): published 34,267, our count 34,223 (0.13% apart).OSHA Commonly Used Statistics (archived June 14, 2024)
Full method and limits of the data
We counted inspections opened by federal OSHA offices. An office is treated as a state-plan office when the third digit of its seven-digit reporting ID is 5; those records are excluded, as state-plan inspections are excluded from OSHA's federal total. We also excluded records whose inspection scope is coded "no inspection"; in fiscal 2026 there were 1,932 such records.
Inspections are assigned to the federal fiscal year (October through September) of their opening date. The December–June comparison sums the same seven calendar months in fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026. The same filters applied to fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023 reproduce OSHA's published federal totals within 0.20% and 0.13%.
What this data cannot tell you
- The fiscal 2026 count is a lower bound. OSHA adds inspection records after the fact, so the most recent months, above all September 2026 and likely July and August, will rise in later releases. A comparison of the latest months with the same months a year earlier partly measures this reporting delay rather than a change in enforcement.
- The count excludes the states and territories that run their own OSHA-approved plans. It is not a count of all workplace safety inspections in the United States.
- An inspection record counts visits, not their outcome or size: a brief records-only inspection counts the same as a months-long investigation. The records do not explain why the number of inspections changed, and the state ranking does not adjust for workforce size.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics also lists a 2026 lapse in appropriations that delayed releases scheduled for early February 2026; it falls inside the December–June comparison months and is not removed from the comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many OSHA inspections were there in 2026?
Federal OSHA opened at least 21,506 inspections in fiscal year 2026, which ran from October 2025 through September 2026. The count comes from OSHA's enforcement records through September 23, 2026 and excludes state-plan inspections.
How many OSHA inspections are conducted per year?
Federal OSHA reported 34,696 federal inspections for fiscal 2024. Our count of OSHA's records shows 30,276 for fiscal 2025, a year for which OSHA has not published a total.
Are OSHA inspections declining?
Federal inspections fell from 34,626 in fiscal 2024 to 30,276 in fiscal 2025. In fiscal 2026, the months from December through June were 15.1% below the same months a year earlier.
Did the 2025 government shutdown affect OSHA inspections?
OSHA's records show 383 federal inspections opened in October 2025, compared with 3,266 in October 2024. The records do not record a reason, but October 2025 was a month with a lapse in federal appropriations.
Does this include state OSHA plans?
No. The count covers federal OSHA offices only, matching how OSHA reports its federal total. Inspections by state-plan agencies are excluded.
Will the fiscal 2026 number change?
Yes, it is likely to rise. OSHA keeps adding inspection records after the fact, and September 2026 shows only 889 inspections through September 23, 2026.
Sources
- OSHA Data Available to View and Download (inspection data) — Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
- Commonly Used Statistics — Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Commonly Used Statistics (archived June 14, 2024) — Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Revised news release dates following the 2025 and 2026 lapses in appropriations — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Independent analysis. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and not affiliated with any agency named here. Analysis by Leonard Goldberg, Editor. How we work: methodology, our data.
More Research and Data
Other studies from our database of public legal records — each with free CSV downloads.
Related research
Latest studies
- Benefit card complaints by companyComerica drew 30.4% of CFPB benefit card complaints, July 2014–2025
- SEC lawsuits by yearThe SEC filed 81 new federal court lawsuits from October 2025 through June 2026
- Truck and delivery crash lawsuitsFedEx companies: named first in 276 federal crash suits, FY2016–FY2025, most of any group tracked
- Civil Forfeiture Default Judgments41.2% of U.S. forfeiture and penalty suits closed FY2021–FY2025 ended in default