Every grade is calculated from the same four factors, weighted the same way, applied to the same public OSHA dataset. No human judgment. No pay-to-play. Just the record.
Grades are generated exclusively from the U.S. Department of Labor's public OSHA enforcement dataset — a record of inspections and citations going back to 1972. We do not use self-reported safety records, insurance claims, or any data provided by the contractor. The source cannot be edited or influenced by the company being graded.
The most important signal. OSHA classifies violations into tiers: Willful (knew about the hazard and ignored it), Repeat (same violation cited again), Serious (substantial probability of death or serious harm), and Other-than-Serious (minor). Willful and Repeat violations carry the heaviest weight. One willful citation matters more than ten minor ones.
How often violations occur relative to the number of inspections. A contractor with 20 violations across 40 inspections is graded differently than one with 20 violations in 2 inspections. We normalize by inspection count so large companies aren't unfairly penalized for being inspected more often. Only violations within the past 7 years count toward frequency.
How quickly the contractor corrected each cited violation. OSHA records the abatement date — the date the hazard was fixed. Contractors who correct problems fast demonstrate a safety culture. Slow abatement, or violations left open, is a culture signal.
Recent violations carry more weight than old ones. A citation from last year matters more than one from a decade ago. Violations older than 15 years contribute minimally to the grade — a company shouldn't be permanently penalized for a problem corrected long ago. Companies with no violations in the past 10 years receive a "Historical data only" notice on their report.
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