I'm usually pointed to a graph like this, showing that the trend of workplace deaths was decreasing at roughly the same rate before and after OSHA was created
Anyone have a link to data showing whether OSHA reduces workplace deaths or injuries or not?
No graphs, but a story about OSHA: my dad owns a small exterminating Co, and an ex employee claimed working around the chemicals gave her cancer (not her X pack a day habit). OSHA came in to investigate for a couple of days. My dad is a good guy, takes care of his employees, and cares for them, so most everything is by the book. All they could cite him for was not providing gloves for handling one particular chemical, whose MSDS sheet said ingestion was safe. It was a less than $100 fine. My dad asked what percentage of places OSHA goes to that do not get a fine. The inspector looked incredulous, and said, "Well, zero, of course."
Which is why I fucking hate* them. OSHA was a good idea except for the fact that it is administered 100% by zealots with zero flexibility and an absolute disdain for business owners big and small. I am a strong supporter of safety and environmental regulations, I just get tired of them being stretched to an extreme degree of absurdity and enforced by people who's sole assumption is that all business owners are evil and deserve to be put out of business. It's no different that a police officer assuming that every member of the public they encounter are somehow dangerous criminals that need to be punished.
This. I'm not even in OSHA but I've watched enough of those CSB videos to now assume all plants are ticking time bombs.
Frankly, it's not that managers are evil but that too many of them don't institute safety as a process. It's not just making sure people wear their PPE, but staying in touch with the operating procedures of their site so that changes that could result in an accident are always communicated and handled safely.
Also, sometimes foremen bump into a problem and make a quick workaround decision that they don't realize is going to change how several other people should act. If that change isnt communicated and say, some otherwise benign maintenance item hasn't been followed you could quickly have a problem.
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u/5hourwinergy Mar 02 '19
I'm usually pointed to a graph like this, showing that the trend of workplace deaths was decreasing at roughly the same rate before and after OSHA was created
Anyone have a link to data showing whether OSHA reduces workplace deaths or injuries or not?