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Improving Regulatory Effectiveness through Better Targeting: Evidence from OSHA

Publication ,  Journal Article
Johnson, MS; Levine, DI; Toffel, MW
Published in: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
January 1, 2023

We study how a regulator can best target inspections. Our case study is a US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) program that randomly allocated some inspections. On average, each inspection led to 2.4 (9 percent) fewer serious injuries over the next 5 years. Using new machine learning methods, we find that OSHA could have averted as much as twice as many injuries by targeting inspections to workplaces with the highest expected averted injuries and nearly as many by targeting the highest expected level of injuries. Either approach would have generated up to $850 million in social value over the decade we examine.

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Published In

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics

DOI

EISSN

1945-7790

ISSN

1945-7782

Publication Date

January 1, 2023

Volume

15

Issue

4

Start / End Page

30 / 67

Related Subject Headings

  • 3801 Applied economics
  • 1402 Applied Economics
 

Citation

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Johnson, M. S., Levine, D. I., & Toffel, M. W. (2023). Improving Regulatory Effectiveness through Better Targeting: Evidence from OSHA. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 15(4), 30–67. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20200659
Johnson, M. S., D. I. Levine, and M. W. Toffel. “Improving Regulatory Effectiveness through Better Targeting: Evidence from OSHA.” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 15, no. 4 (January 1, 2023): 30–67. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20200659.
Johnson MS, Levine DI, Toffel MW. Improving Regulatory Effectiveness through Better Targeting: Evidence from OSHA. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. 2023 Jan 1;15(4):30–67.
Johnson, M. S., et al. “Improving Regulatory Effectiveness through Better Targeting: Evidence from OSHA.” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, vol. 15, no. 4, Jan. 2023, pp. 30–67. Scopus, doi:10.1257/app.20200659.
Johnson MS, Levine DI, Toffel MW. Improving Regulatory Effectiveness through Better Targeting: Evidence from OSHA. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. 2023 Jan 1;15(4):30–67.

Published In

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics

DOI

EISSN

1945-7790

ISSN

1945-7782

Publication Date

January 1, 2023

Volume

15

Issue

4

Start / End Page

30 / 67

Related Subject Headings

  • 3801 Applied economics
  • 1402 Applied Economics