DOL Announces Database Enhancements

On August 23, the U.S. Department of Labor announced enhancements to its online enforcement database designed to improve public access to and understanding of the department's enforcement actions. The updated website includes a number of new features, including map displays of inspection and violation data from the dOccupational Safety and Health Administration and Mine Safety and Health Administration, as well as the ability to view individual inspection records and the enforcement history of a particular company or mine.

In addition to mapping capabilities, the updated site allows users to easily view important agency metrics; perform keyword searches; filter data by year, violations or penalties; and export search results or an entire data set into downloadable formats. A new "labs" feature allows users to create data visualizations and animations using several decades of MSHA data. 

The website also includes enforcement data from the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and the Wage and Hour Division

The Labor Department created the enforcement database, available at http://ogesdw.dol.gov, to increase transparency, participation and collaboration as part of the administration's Open Government Initiative.