Inspection
An inspection is an agency on-site examination of a workplace, facility, product, or record to verify compliance with law — a core enforcement and oversight tool of the executive branch. Regulatory agencies use inspections to find violations before harm occurs: OSHA inspects workplaces for safety and health hazards, the FDA inspects food and drug facilities, and the EPA inspects regulated sites. Refusing an inspection can lead an agency to obtain an administrative warrant.
An inspection is an agency on-site examination of a workplace, facility, product, or record to verify compliance with law — a core enforcement and oversight tool of the executive branch. Regulatory agencies use inspections to find violations before harm occurs: OSHA inspects workplaces for safety and health hazards, the FDA inspects food and drug facilities, and the EPA inspects regulated sites. Refusing an inspection can lead an agency to obtain an administrative warrant.
Example: An OSHA inspection proceeds in stages: the compliance officer presents credentials and explains the purpose and scope of the inspection at an opening conference, walks through the workplace, reviews records, and interviews employees, then closes with a conference on apparent hazards and the time allowed to correct them. OSHA own inspection factsheet notes that employers may require an inspection warrant before the compliance officer enters the worksite.
Common misconception: An inspection is not a finding of a violation. Inspections often end with no citations; when citations are issued, the employer can contest them through a formal process, and an inspection itself implies nothing about any individual worker or firm.