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The Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) is a U.S. federal agency under the Department Of Labor. The mission of OSHA is to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's workers. To accomplish this, federal and state governments must work in partnership with the more than 100 million working men and women and their six and a half million employers who are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
OSHA and its state partners have approximately 2100 inspectors, plus complaint discrimination investigators, engineers, physicians, educators, standards writers, and other technical and support personnel spread over more than 200 offices throughout the country. This staff establishes protective standards and vigorously enforces those standards.
Between Federal and State inspections OSHA conducts close to 100,000 inspections at American worksites yearly. Strong enforcement has helped to increase alleged violations by more than 10 percent over the past five years, including an increase of 14 percent in alleged willful violations since 2003. At the same time, injuries and illnesses continue to decline significantly.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration aims to ensure worker safety and health in the United States by working with employers and employees to create better working environments. Since its inception in 1971, OSHA has helped to cut workplace fatalities by more than 60 percent and occupational injury and illness rates by 40 percent. At the same time, U.S. employment has doubled from 56 million workers at 3.5 million worksites to more than 115 million workers at 7.2 million sites.
In 2002 through its basic inspections OSHA identified 78,433 federal violations which cost American companies a total of $72,827,278 in fines. And 144,075 state violations totaling $75,871,882 in fines!
American corporations can choose to become OSHA compliant or become part of an unpleasant statistic. In 2002 OSHA violators were fined nearly $150 million total!
OSHA investigations are equally unpleasant as the fines. In many cases OSHA orders a plant to be shut while an investigation is conducted. With high overhead expenses of a plant and no income due to no production, companies can be forced to go out of business during an OSHA investigation.
By implementing an OSHA compliance program, comprehensive safety training, and proper recordkeeping, you not only have nothing to worry about but are creating a safer environment for your employees, clients and yourself.
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Workplace Safety Intro