workplace safety: an american...

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2014/SOM1/HRDWG/LSPN/009 Agenda item: 10

Workplace Safety: An American Perspective

Purpose: Information Submitted by: United States

Human Resources Development Working Group Labour and Social Protection Network Meeting

Ningbo, China19-20 February 2014

INTRODUCTION TO OSHA PRESENTATION

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Workplace Safety: An American Perspective

Ningbo, ChinaFebruary 2014

Before OSHA

There was no law in the U.S. requiring employers to provide safe workplaces.

Workers in the U.S. did not have the right to a safe workplace.

When a worker was killed on the job, there was no guarantee that there would be an investigation.

There was no legal compulsion to fix the problem so that another worker did not have to face that same risk the next day.

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Congress enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act).

On December 29, 1970, President Nixon signed the OSH Act.

This Act created OSHA, the agency, which formally came into being on April 28, 1971.

Creation of OSHA

Creation of OSHA con’t

The OSH Act passed with bipartisan support.

This was a historic moment of national reform in the U.S. ◦ The Federal Government acted because neither state

and/or local government, nor the workers' compensation system, had succeeded in addressing safety and health in the workplaces of that era.

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Since 1970, workplace deaths have fallen nearly 65% and occupational injury and illness rates have dropped 67%. At the same time, U.S. employment has almost doubled.

In 1970, approximately 38 workers a day were killed on the job across the U.S. (14,000 workers per year).

In 2012, approximately 12 workers a day were killed on the job across the U.S. (4,383 workers per year).

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Since the Creation of OSHA

OSHA’s MissionRemains the same as it did in 1970: to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

In 2012, OSHA removed 685,000 workers from job hazards and conducted nearly 41,000 Federal OSHA inspections, and another 51,000 with its State plan partners.

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10 RegionsGeographical Regions (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South) with 92 Area Offices

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OSHA Nationwide

Section 18 of the OSH Act enables States to develop and operate their own job safety and health programs.

OSHA approves and monitors State plans and provides up to 50 percent of an approved plan's operating costs.

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State Authority


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OSHA EnforcementApproximately 2,200 safety and health federal and state inspectors.

Responsible for the health and safety of 130 million workers, employed at 8 million worksites throughout the United States.

Inspectors have a wide range of expertise:Construction safety (fall protection, scaffolding)Process Safety management (chemical safety)Industrial hygiene (asbestos, silica)

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OSHA’s challenge is to apply the most efficient mix in order to maximize the abatement of hazards, and therefore the prevention on injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

Broad range of programs and deterrence strategies include:

The Severe Violators Enforcement Program- Focuses OSHA’s resources on employers who willfully commit violations of OSHA’s standards.

National Emphasis Programs – Focuses on major health and safety hazards, which are of recognized national significance within the U.S.

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Deterrence Theory


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OSHA Inspections Conducted

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39,324 38,667 39,004 40,993 40,648 40,961 39,228

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13

Percentage of Construction Inspections

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0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13

59% 60% 61% 60% 56% 55% 52%


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Construction IndustryIn 2012, 775 out of 3,945 worker fatalities in the private industry (19.6%) were in construction.

The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites:◦ Falls;◦ Struck by object;◦ Electrocution; and◦ Caught-in/between.

These causes were responsible for nearly three out of five construction worker deaths (56%) in 2012.

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1. Fall Protection2. Hazard Communication3. Scaffolding4. Respiratory Protection5. Electrical, Wiring

Methods

6. Powered Industrial Trucks

7. Ladders8. Lockout/Tagout9. Electrical, General

Requirements10. Machine Guarding

2013 Top Ten Most Cited US Standards


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OSHA inspections prevent thousands of workplace injuries, while saving employers money and protecting jobs – an estimated $6 billion in savings to employers nationwide.*

"Randomized government safety inspections reduce worker injuries with no detectable job loss”.

• Workplace injury claims dropped by 9.4% at businesses following a random OSHA inspection, compared with businesses that were not inspected.

• Those same employers saved an average of 26% on workers' compensation costs.

*The Journal Science, the Business Schools of California-Berkeley and Harvard University

OSHA and the Economy: Safety Pays

Changing Workplace CultureEducate U.S. employers about moving beyond reactive compliance to embrace a culture of safety.

Many workplaces already have injury and illness prevention programs.• Common-sense tool that gives employers a process to

find and fix hazards in the workplace before someone gets hurt.

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Injury and Illness Prevention Programs

Based on a common set of key elements:◦ Management leadership;◦ Worker participation;◦ Hazard identification;◦ Hazard prevention and control;◦ Education and training: and◦ Program evaluation and improvement

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Direct Costs of Injuries and Illnesses

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Direct costs of the most disabling workplace injuries in the U.S. averaged $47.6 billion per year between 1998 and 2008

Every year, more than 4.1 million workers suffer a serious job-related injury or illness.


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Indirect Costs

Indirect costs:Wages not covered by workers compensationAdministrative timeCosts of training replacement employees Lost productivityReplacement costs of damaged material

Indirect costs can be 1.1 to 4.5 times the direct costs

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Injury and Illness Prevention Programs: Do they work?

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Injury and Illness Prevention Programs: Do they work?

Implementing injury and illness prevention programs could:◦ Reduce injuries by 15 to 35%

◦ Save $9 billion to $23 billion per year in workers’ compensation costs

◦ Reduce indirect costs

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Consultation ServicesIn FY 2012, OSHA's On-site Consultation Program conducted more than 27,800 free on-site visits to small and medium-sized business worksites covering more than 1.5 million workers nationwide.

Voluntary Protection ProgramsManagement, labor, and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system

Alliance ProgramsInternational Alliances• Eleven countries have signed Letters of Agreements

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Compliance Assistance and Outreach


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OSHA Campaigns and InitiativesTemporary Worker Initiative◦ Create awareness and encourage better protection◦ Memos to our field offices, highlighting the

importance of protecting temporary workers. Instructs inspectors to ensure that safety and health protections, including training, are in place for temporary workers.

http://www.osha.gov/temp_workers/index.html

Campaign to Prevent Fatal Falls in Construction.

Falls- leading cause of death in construction.o Account for one third of all construction

fatalities.

http://www.osha.gov/stopfalls/index.html

Water. Rest. Shade." campaignPrevent heat related illnesses and deaths.o Reached hundreds of thousands of workers and employers

with bilingual material and training.

o 56,000 downloads of OSHA’s smartphone Heat App.

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html

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OSHA Campaigns and Initiatives


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OSHA and APEC Member EconomiesChina◦ Cement Industry◦ Safety and Health Statistics ◦ AsbestosJapan◦ Process Safety Management◦ Emergency ManagementRepublic of Korea◦ Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NTRLs)Mexico and the Philippines◦ Consular Partnership Program Members (Migrant Workers in the US)Thailand◦ Worker Protections for the Informal Sector

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OSHA and Consular Partnerships

• OSHA enforces the OSH Act of 1970 for all U.S. workers covered by the Act equally, regardless of immigration status

• Migrant and vulnerable workers –

• Enforcing the laws for all workers ensures equality of opportunity for workers AND employers

• Prevents “race to the bottom” of labor standards

• A “triple win”: Consulates work together with OSHA –Consulates provide assistance to their nationals—OSHA helps more workers

“It’s all about saving lives”


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DOL-CONSULAR PARTNERSHIPS

Partnership Agreements with 11 Embassies:

BelizeCosta RicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorGuatemalaHondurasMexicoNicaraguaPeruThe Philippines

Countries with large number of workers in U.S. workforceor workers engaged in high-risk occupations may wish to enter into partnership agreement with USDOL.

New DOL Embassy Partners:

More detailed information: Enforcement Programs and Statistics;OSHA Standards and Regulations;Cooperative and State Programs;Publications and online resources;Letters of Interpretive Guidance; andNational, Regional and Local Offices

WWW.OSHA.GOV


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Thank you !

Christopher WatsonSenior Advisor for APEC Affairs

US Department of Labor

[email protected]

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