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IRE and NICAR have updated their OSHA workplace safety inspection database with records through February 2005, containing over 3 million records since 1972 that journalists can use to investigate business safety and regulatory enforcement. The organization also offers resources through its Campaign Finance Information Center for investigating national and state campaigns, including searchable federal contract and election data.

Fresh OSHA data

The IRE and NICAR Database Library has updated the Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspections database to include records into February 2005. The data contains more than 3 million records of workplace safety inspections since 1972.

The OSHA data consists of 10 tables detailing workplace violations, penalties and accidents. Journalists have used previous releases of the data to investigate the safety of local businesses, and the effectiveness of OSHA inspections and enforcement.

Many of these stories and tipsheets about investigating workplace safety are available through the IRE Resource Center.

Contact the Resource Center at 573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org.

Journalists can order the data for a state or the entire country by contacting the Database Library at 573-884-7711 or 573-884-7332.

For more information about the OSHA workplace safety database, or to download an order form, visit www.nicar.org/data/osha.

Campaign finance

Journalists can tap in to the resources inside IRE's Campaign Finance Information Center (www.campaignfinance.org) to investigate national and state campaigns. The CFIC Web site features a searchable database of federal contracts and campaign finance data, and links to relevant tipsheets and news stories.

In addition, the Database Library has Federal Election Commission data for the 2006 election cycle.