About
half the 95 million workers who would be covered under an OSHA safety
and health program standard don't have that protection today.
Nearly 50
American workers are injured every minute of the 40-hour workweek and almost
17 die each day.
Since OSHA was
created 28 years ago, workplace fatalities have been cut in half. Occupational
injury and illness rates have been declining for the past five years. In 1997,
they dropped to the lowest level since the U.S. began collecting this information.
Our premier
partnership, the Voluntary Protection Program continues to pay big dividends.
Today more than 500 workplaces, representing 180 industries, save $110 million
each year because their injury rates are 50 percent below the average for
their industries.
Nearly one-third
of all serious occupational injuries and illnesses stem from overexertion
or repetitive motion. These are disabling, expensive injuries. They cost our
economy as much as $20 billion in direct costs and billions more in indirect
costs.
Only about 30
percent of businesses have established safety and health programs. About half
of the 95 million workers who would be covered under an OSHA safety and health
program standard don't have that protection today. Establishing a safety and
health program to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses is not only
the right thing to do, it's the profitable thing to do. Studies have shown
a $4 to $6 return for every dollar invested in safety and health.
Together federal
and state OSHA programs have about 2,500 inspectors to cover more than 100
million workers at 6 million sites. That's one inspector for every 2,400 worksites
and every 40,000 employees. That's why we can't depend on inspections alone
to achieve our mission of protecting workers. At a rate of roughly 90,000
inspections per year, we'd visit each worksite once every 66 years!
Nearly 4,000
federal and state OSHA staff took one of our 78 courses at the OSHA Training
Institute last year. Through our 12 education centers, an additional 7,300
individuals — mostly from the private sector — advanced their knowledge of occupational
safety and health.
