OSHA was founded on April 28, 1971 following the December 1970 signing of the Occupational Health & Safety Act by President Richard Nixon. What exactly has the enforcement of OSHA regulations done for the American worker in the past 40 years??
In 1970, an estimated 14,000 workers were likely killed. In 2009, 4,340 workers were killed. This is an enormous number of lives saved but to this Safety Professional, that number is still 4,340 too many. OSHA will never be able to create a world of zero injuries. That will be up to the individual employers and employees to reach that goal – a goal which is not impossible with the many products that are on the market to ensure all workers are safe.
I, myself, am looking forward to the coming years updated regulations to try and aid companies reach towards what should be their most important goal. The protection of their greatest resource.
Happy Birthday OSHA! Here’s to the next 40 years!!
For more information on safety over the last 100 years, check out this film from the American Society of Safety Engineers:
http://www.asse.org/newsroom/100th-video.php