The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Three Pronged Approach to Workplace Safety Presented by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs Third Hemispheric Workshop on Occupational Health and Safety Cusco, Peru October 21-22, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor  Enforces 180 laws: Minimum wage Minimum wage Overtime Overtime Child labor Child labor Private pensions Private pensions Safety and health Safety and health And more And more  Covers 135 million workers  10 million employers

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  Created in 1971 by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970  Coverage: 135 million workers at 7.2 million worksites  Since establishment, workplace fatalities declined by 60%  Injuries and diseases have declined by 40%  Workforce has doubled

Workplace Fatalities ( ) Fatalities per 100,000 Workers Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2007* - Preliminary data Number Rate

Workplace Injury and Illness Rates ( ) Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2002* - OSHA revised its injury and illness recordkeeping rule rates are not comparable to prior years. Injuries and illnesses per 100 FTE

OSHA Resources  Budget: Almost $500 million  2150 employees, including 1100 inspectors  Plus 1300 state inspectors  200 offices

OSHA State Programs  22 States have their own OSHA programs  State programs: Must meet, but may exceed, OSHA standards Must meet, but may exceed, OSHA standards Must be approved, and are monitored by OSHA Must be approved, and are monitored by OSHA Cost is shared with OSHA providing 50% Cost is shared with OSHA providing 50%

OSHA Three Pronged Approach  Strong, fair and effective enforcement  Outreach, education and compliance assistance efforts  Partnerships, alliances, and cooperative and voluntary programs cooperative and voluntary programs

OSHA Inspections  Three kinds of inspections: complaint/accident related; high hazard targeted; referrals follow-up  2006: OSHA conducted 38,579 workplace inspections; found 83,913 violations; and assessed $84 million in penalties  State OSHAs conducted 58,058 inspections: found 127 thousand violations; and assessed $71 million in penalties.

OSHA Inspections (cont.)  Approximately 20% of all inspections are complaint driven or accident related. complaint driven or accident related.  The OSH Act gives employees the right to file complaints about workplace safety and health hazards. about workplace safety and health hazards.  The Act gives complainants the right to request that their names not be revealed to their employers. Complaints may names not be revealed to their employers. Complaints may be filed on-line, by mail or by phone. be filed on-line, by mail or by phone.

Outreach, Education, and Compliance Assistance  Publications-- in English and Spanish  Training OSHA Training Institute OSHA Training Institute OSHA Training Institute Education Centers OSHA Training Institute Education Centers Outreach Training Program Outreach Training Program  Internet Outreach

Compliance Assistance  $afety Pays Interactive system to assist employers in estimating the costs of occupational injuries and illnesses and the impact on a company’s profitability Interactive system to assist employers in estimating the costs of occupational injuries and illnesses and the impact on a company’s profitability Businesses use a formula approach to predict the direct and indirect impacts Businesses use a formula approach to predict the direct and indirect impacts  Advisory Groups OSHA has several standing committees or ad hoc committees that advise the agency OSHA has several standing committees or ad hoc committees that advise the agency Committees include representatives of management, labor, and state agencies, as well as one or more designees of the Secretary of Health and Human Services Committees include representatives of management, labor, and state agencies, as well as one or more designees of the Secretary of Health and Human Services

Partnerships, Alliances, and Cooperative and Voluntary Programs  Alliance Program Focus is on industry, or on hazards within an industry Focus is on industry, or on hazards within an industry Between OSHA and businesses, associations, or unions Between OSHA and businesses, associations, or unions Involves training and education, outreach, and communication Involves training and education, outreach, and communication  Consultation Service Free consultation on request Free consultation on request No penalties No penalties Must correct shortcomings Must correct shortcomings

Partnerships, Alliances, and Cooperative and Voluntary Programs (cont.)  Strategic Partnership Program Signed between OSHA and groups of employers, employees, unions, and other stakeholders. Signed between OSHA and groups of employers, employees, unions, and other stakeholders. Establish effective safety and health management systems; train managers and workers; involve employees more closely; share expertise and other resources. Establish effective safety and health management systems; train managers and workers; involve employees more closely; share expertise and other resources.  Voluntary Protection Programs Premiere recognition program Premiere recognition program Companies establish own programs; approved and monitored by OSHA Companies establish own programs; approved and monitored by OSHA Annual evaluations; not inspections. Annual evaluations; not inspections.

Success Stories  The Jacksonville Electric Authority Strategic Partnership Partnership Established in 2000; over 36,000 employees and supervisors received safety training Established in 2000; over 36,000 employees and supervisors received safety training Prior to partnering with OSHA, the rate of OSH incidences reported for the Jacksonville electrical system was 6.16 Prior to partnering with OSHA, the rate of OSH incidences reported for the Jacksonville electrical system was 6.16 By 2007, that rate was reduced to only 2.5 – well below the national average of 6.3 By 2007, that rate was reduced to only 2.5 – well below the national average of 6.3  The Dow Chemical Company Alliance Dow management and their contractor companies entered into an alliance to implement safety and health management systems at their Texas operations Dow management and their contractor companies entered into an alliance to implement safety and health management systems at their Texas operations Result: More than 90 percent reduction in their injury rate from 1995 to 2007 Result: More than 90 percent reduction in their injury rate from 1995 to 2007 Alliance has grown from 15 contractor companies when it was formed in 1995, to include 85 this year Alliance has grown from 15 contractor companies when it was formed in 1995, to include 85 this year

Sources of Information  Rulemaking and Compliance Assistance OSHA Data Initiative and Integrated Management Information System OSHA Data Initiative and Integrated Management Information System Public notice and comment processes and public hearings Public notice and comment processes and public hearings Requests for Information (RFIs) to gather data; submitted in hard copy or electronically Requests for Information (RFIs) to gather data; submitted in hard copy or electronically serves as a portal for the public to send information and obtain public documents that are collected and used in the rulemaking process serves as a portal for the public to send information and obtain public documents that are collected and used in the rulemaking process

Sources of Information  Rulemaking and Compliance Assistance Literature and database searches Literature and database searches Attending professional conferences Attending professional conferences Workplace visits Workplace visits Partnerships, Alliances and Voluntary Programs Partnerships, Alliances and Voluntary Programs State Partners State Partners Advisory Committees Advisory Committees

Information Technology  Record Keeping: OSHA Data Initiative Employers required to keep records and submit to OSHA Employers required to keep records and submit to OSHA OSHA tracks data and monitors its own performance OSHA tracks data and monitors its own performance Used to guide inspectors during inspections Used to guide inspectors during inspections Used by employers and employees Used by employers and employees Forms the basis for the BLS database Forms the basis for the BLS database

The Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)  Designed as an information resource for in-house use by OSHA staff and management, and by state agencies which carry out federally-approved OSHA programs  Source of information: local federal or state office in the geographical area where the activity occurred  Information is entered as events occur in the course of agency activities. Until cases are closed, IMIS entries concerning specific OSHA inspections are subject to continuing correction and updating, particularly with regard to citation items  Access afforded via the Internet for the use of members of the public  Can be accessed at and can respond to queries by establishment, sector, accident investigation, frequently cited OSHA standards, among others

Electronic Outreach  eTools: Stand alone, interactive, web-based training tools. Can be accessed by anybody. Expert advisers provides more advanced training and guidance. I would invite you view this at ml#eTools ml#eTools ml#eTools  Multimedia training tools: PowerPoint, videos, available at

Electronic Outreach (cont.)  In addition, OSHA's website includes several special features: Spanish-language pages Spanish-language pages Small Business page Small Business page Compliance Assistance page that provides a portal to OSHA's compliance assistance resources and information on OSHA's cooperative programs. Compliance Assistance page that provides a portal to OSHA's compliance assistance resources and information on OSHA's cooperative programs. Workers page Workers page Teen Workers page Teen Workers page OSHA Training Institute Education Centers page OSHA Training Institute Education Centers page

Electronic Outreach (cont.)  Main statistical database: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Statistics (BLS)  Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities (IIF)  Available at

For More Information… Main OSHA website: Main OSHA website: The 1970 OSH Act: e=OSHACT&p_toc_level=0&p_keyvalue The 1970 OSH Act: e=OSHACT&p_toc_level=0&p_keyvalue e=OSHACT&p_toc_level=0&p_keyvalue e=OSHACT&p_toc_level=0&p_keyvalue State OSH plans: State OSH plans: Training: Training: Compliance Assistance: Compliance Assistance: Partnerships: Partnerships: Alliance Program: Alliance Program: Voluntary Protection Programs: Voluntary Protection Programs: eTools: eTools:

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