The document discusses workplace safety and injuries in the United States, and the role of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in regulating workplace safety. It notes that in 2005 there were over 4 million non-fatal workplace injuries reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. OSHA enforces regulations to promote workplace safety through standards like 29 CFR 1910.119 and 29 CFR 1910.120. Effective injury and illness prevention programs are important for protecting workers and reducing costs for employers. Records of injuries and exposures are a key part of an effective prevention program.

1. Something about OSHA
What You Don't Know About OSHA
The US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 5,702 workplace related fatalities
(around 4 deaths per 100,000 workers) and about 4.2 million occurrences of workplace related non-
lethal injuries and illnesses. This demonstrates the continuing importance of OSHA plans and
initiatives to ensure health and security in the workplace.
Available data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) highlights the fact that non-fatal
workplace injuries and illnesses have been increasingly reduced from 5.3 to 4.6 instances/ 100
equivalent full time workers, during the period 2002 to 2005. Strict regulations for workplace
security and agencies enforcing the same's commitment have made this remarkable effort a reality.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an agency under the Department of
Labor, has the principal duty of developing and applying worker and workplace associated health
and safety regulations. OSHA encourages workplace security through a variety of manners, like the
29 CFR 1910.119 PSM standard and the 29 CFR 1910.120 HAZWOPER standard. The essentials of
the OSHA Workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Program emanate from the provisions of these
standards.
The EAP, orientated towards disaster management, and the IIPP, for minimizing events designed,
aren't mutually exclusive. Both programs complement each other and have specific common
demands. An illustration of this is the recommended use of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to
identify potential hazards that could appear in the different types of substances in use at the
workplace. The 1910.119 PSM standard mandates using MSDS, satisfying the demands of 29 CFR
1910.1200, section (g).
An IIPP is a mechanism for reviewing and eliminating/reducing potential risks at work. Workers can
not be only protected by an effective IIPP but also benefit employers by reducing lost man-days and
workers' compensation costs.
The workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) can be conveniently discussed with
regard to the California- OSHA embraced IIPP.
The Cal-OSHA mandated IIPP basically has seven fundamental elements.
Records and reports (29 CFR 1904) are significant and integral parts of any powerful OSHA
workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Records help identify causes of events and develop
future strategies for improving workplace security. Records generally contain work-related
accidents, fatalities, injuries and illnesses, episodes of exposure to toxic or dangerous materials,
Material Safety Data Sheets, health and safety associated training imparted to workers, inspections,
audits and other statutory records required for worker's compensation, insurance etc.
The OSHA workplace Injury and Illness Prevention program, admittedly, imposes requirements that
are scrupulous on companies. However an effective IIPP's inconveniences are far outweighed by the
benefits that it can supply.