News Release

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OSHA News Release: [2/5/2007]
Contact Name: Sharon Worthy or David Sims
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676 or x1898
Release Number: 07-0196-NAT

President's FY 2008 Budget Request for Department of Labor's OSHA Will Increase Federal Enforcement and Compliance Assistance

WASHINGTON — Edwin G. Foulke Jr., assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), today announced that President Bush has requested $490.3 million for OSHA in fiscal year 2008. The request represents an increase of nearly $18 million over the FY 2007 continuing resolution level and includes increases for federal enforcement and federal compliance assistance.

Foulke explained the increase will help the agency improve workplace safety and health through compliance assistance and enforcement of occupational safety and health regulations and standards. "We are proposing to increase resources supporting the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) by more than $4.6 million," Foulke said. "VPP recognizes exemplary work sites for their enhanced safety and health performance. This translates into substantial benefits for both employers and employees, including significant reductions in injury and illness rates which have proven to deliver millions of dollars in cost savings for participants."

Since 2001, OSHA has implemented a balanced approach consisting of aggressive enforcement, cooperative programs, outreach, education and compliance assistance which has yielded a 19 percent reduction in occupational illness and injury rates. During this same period, the overall fatality rate has declined by 7 percent and it has fallen by 18 percent among Hispanic employees.

More than $17 million will go to increasing resources allocated to the federal enforcement, federal compliance assistance and cooperative programs. OSHA has planned 37,700 workplace inspections throughout the year and will continue to focus its resources on workplaces and industries with high rates of injuries and illnesses. The Enhanced Enforcement Program focuses on employers who ignore their safety and health obligations while the agency's Local and National Emphasis Programs focus on specific industries or safety and health issues.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

OSHA FY 2008 Proposed Budget (Highlights)

The president's FY 2008 proposed budget will enable OSHA to continue making progress in its efforts to keep driving workplace injuries, illnesses and loss of life toward zero. Results indicate that OSHA's strategies are working. Workplace injuries and illnesses have been on a downward trend for the past 13 years. Between 1998 and 2005, the total injury and illness case rate decreased by 31 percent. Further, at 4.0 per 100,000 employees, the U.S. on-the-job fatality rate for 2005 was among the lowest ever recorded.

During FY 2008, OSHA will remain positioned to continue its focus on workplace safety and health through an overall balanced approach that includes:

• strong, fair and effective enforcement;
• outreach, education and compliance assistance, and
• cooperative and voluntary programs.

Proposed FY 2008 Budget (Dollars in Millions)

Selected OSHA Workload Data