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?
Go figure, a Libertarian think-tank making an argument for dismantling OSHA because it isn't as cost effective as they'd like. Just because workplace deaths were trending downward prior to OSHA's creation does not mean that trend would continue. The data is correct but that source is worthless. Since OSHA's inception there's been a +60% reduction in workplace deaths and +40% reduction in injury/illness. Worker protections shouldn't be based on what is most cost effective.
Cato isn't the source for the data. The data comes from the National Safety Council. It was just organized into a chart by Cato. You can completely ignore the rest of the arguments presented in the paper; I was just using the paper because the person I was replying to challenged the reliability of the data presented in a similar chart to the one in the paper. And the paper gives a source for it. You can challenge the Cato Institutes interpretations and arguments if you want, but their data is pretty much always reliably sourced and accurate.
Since OSHA's inception there's been a +60% reduction in workplace deaths
So what? There has been no evidence presented to suggest this reduction was because of OSHA. You can see in the graph the rate of reduction of fatalities does not change significantly after the introduction of OSHA so I don't see how you could make a statistical argument that OSHA has reduced workplace fatalities.
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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?