TOOLBOX: Labor Dept. Enforcement Data Tool Can Help Journalists

Workers exposed occupationally to toxic chemicals and other safety threats are often the first sign of danger to the general population. A new portal combining Labor Department enforcement databases offers environmental journalists a new tool for exploring such stories.

The "Data Enforcement" portal combines data about inspections, violations, and enforcement, overlaying that information on map and census information, adding summary data visualizations, and making the data much more searchable.

The purview of the combined datasets goes well beyond occupational safety and health, to include things such as employee benefits and federal contract compliance.

• Data Enforcement site, Department of Labor.