The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) recently released its fiscal year (FY) 2019 final statistics, which show a significant increase in the number of inspections and a record amount of compliance assistance to further OSHA’s mission of ensuring that employers provide workplaces free of hazards.
OSHA conducted 33,401 inspections – more than the previous three years – addressing violations related to trenching, falls, chemical exposure, silica, and other hazards.
In FY 2019, it also provided a record 1,292,611 workers with training on safety and health requirements through the agency’s various educational programs, including the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, Outreach Training Program, and Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. OSHA’s compliance assistance programs have helped small businesses address safety and health hazards in their workplaces. Also, its no-cost On-Site Consultation Program identified 137,885 workplace hazards, protected 3.2 million workers from potential harm.
“OSHA’s efforts – rulemaking, enforcement, compliance assistance, and training – are tools to accomplish our mission of safety and health for every worker,” says Loren Sweatt, principal deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthy workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure that these conditions are met for U.S. workers by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education, and assistance.
