Occupational Safety and Health Administration; A case study analyzing Thesis

Occupational Safety and Health Administration; A case study analyzing US workplace illness and injuries. Has OSHA contributed to reduced incidents in the workplace - Thesis Example For government workers, however, the rates are higher with 6.3 cases for every 100 workers. These statistics still indicate an imperative need for improvements to be made in the workplace3. This paper shall evaluate the US workplace illnesses and injuries and shall determine if OSHA has contributed to the reduced incidents in the workplace. This paper shall use statistics and graphs in order to determine the pattern of incidence rates of workplace injuries and fatalities in the United States. Through these statistics, a thorough analysis of the subject matter can hopefully be implemented. In the 1970s, the workplace was a dangerous place to be. At this time, an estimated 14,000 deaths in the workplace in a year were seen; and in 1970 alone about 2.5 million workers became disabled and occupational diseases registered at 300,000 for 1970 alone4. These alarming statistics prompted the United States Congress to enact passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 which then led to the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The act was passed in order to cover all employees in the United States as well as its colonies. Each state was allowed to develop its own safety plans so long as they were in accord with the provisions of the Act. In 1971, the enforcement of the act began5. During its initial phase, some of the actions and policies of the agency were successful, others were not so successful. Because of limited resources, the agency targeted the protection of workers in a worse-case-first approach; hence, those who were in the most dangerous and most unhealthy workplaces were targeted first6. During its first three years, the agency imposed the implementation of the provisions of the act immediately – August 1971 – instead of using the two year phase period which the law would have allowed7. The