labor lawAdivision of labor law center

According to a report just issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, employers have succeeded in reducing workplace injuries.

 

Required safety posters, on display at every workplace, are one of the tools that have made this achievement possible.

 

According to the BLS, the rate of workplace injuries and illnesses declined for the fifth consecutive year.

 

When accidents do occur, employers can report them, and plan corrective actions, using the Accident/Injury Report.  

 

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that approximately 4 million work-related injuries and illnesses occurred in 2007.  This translates to a rate of 4.2 nonfatal injuries for each 100 full-time employees. That rate is a 4.5% reduction from the 4.4 injuries per 100 in 2006.

 

Every employer is required to follow a rigorous worker safety plan designated by OSHA, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

 

A key element in OSHA’s worker safety program is the required display of safety posters in every workplace.

 

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., said, “The injury and illness results demonstrate that OSHA’s balanced approach to workplace safety encompassing education, training, information sharing, inspection, regulation and aggressive enforcement is achieving significant reductions in workplace injury and illness throughout the country. This report shows that employees are now safer in the workplace than ever before. This success validates our efforts, and we are redoubling this commitment to make workplaces even safer.”

 

Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao pointed out that non-fatal workplace injuries have declined 21% over the past six years. Secretary Chao noted that these statistics, “show the effectiveness of the strategy of targeted enforcement coupled with prevention through compliance assistance to promote a culture of safety at the workplace,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

 

Safety figures for 2008 will not be released until November, 2009.

 

While the number of non-fatal accidents in the workplace was a bright spot, there was a increase in work-related fatalities, primarily due to workplace homicides.

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