OSHA Inspection Trends 2026: Where Inspectors Are Actually Showing Up

Federal OSHA's 2026 inspection priorities have shifted in three meaningful ways. Knowing where inspectors are going helps you decide where to spend your safety budget.

Warehousing is the new construction. The Warehouse National Emphasis Program is in full swing, with programmed inspections triggered by injury rates pulled from electronic 300A submissions. If your DART rate is above the industry median, you are on the list.

Healthcare is back in scope. After several years of pandemic-era enforcement discretion, OSHA is again citing healthcare employers for bloodborne pathogens, workplace violence, and respiratory protection — especially in long-term care.

Heat inspections are now year-round. The federal heat illness rulemaking remains in proposal status, but OSHA is using the General Duty Clause aggressively. Expect inspections triggered by 911 heat calls regardless of season.

Three things to do this quarter: pull your latest 300A and benchmark against your NAICS code, document any heat-related near-miss with a written corrective action, and make sure your written programs reflect the work actually being done — not the work being done five years ago.

Most cited federal standards for Q1 2026 mirror the historical top five: Fall Protection, Hazard Communication, Ladders, Respiratory Protection, and Lockout/Tagout. The categories don't change — only the industries getting cited.