OSHA
Past, Present and Future

PAST
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA is a part of the US Department of Labor, and was started in 1970 as part of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act. Its mission is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths by issuing and enforcing rules (called standards) for workplace safety and health. Since it's inception it has helped to cut the incidents of workplace fatalities by sixty percent, and occupational injury and illness rates by forty percent. This presentation will present what
OSHA has accomplished in the past, present and what it hopes to accomplish in the future.

There are many reasons for the introduction of an organization like
OSHA. In
Five of their facilities saw a decrease in worker compensation cost ranging from 42% to 93% with the average being 62%.

The Safety and Health recognition program (SHARP) recognizes companies who show exemplary achievement in workplace safety and health.

The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) which is OSHA's premiere partnership that recognizes health and safety excellence. Today VPP sites save Millions each year because their health and safety ratings are more than 50% below the average for their industry. Brown and Serve in St. Charles Illinois saw a 93% savings of over $200,000 since 1997.

FUTURE

Due to the ever-changing technologies and manufacturing processes, OSHA must also keep changing. With that said, each year OSHA reviews its goals toward reducing workplace injury, illness and fatality rates. In 2003, OSHA created a Strategic Management Plan, which listed its goals through to 2008.

Under this plan, OSHA plans to achieve three major goals.

• The first is to reduce occupational hazards through direct intervention. It plans to work closely within the Department of Labor to prepare and train the workforce to enhance the quality of life of working men and women.
• The second goal is to promote a safety and healthy culture through compliance assistance, cooperative programs and strong leadership.
• The third goal is to maximize OSHA's effectiveness and efficiency by strengthening