For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 9, 2004
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
SUBJECT: The Safety, Health, and Return-to-Employment (SHARE) Initiative
The cost of Federal workplace injuries, when measured by workers'
compensation losses, is more than $2 billion and 2 million lost production days
annually. In fiscal year 2003, the Federal workforce of almost 2.7 million
filed more than 168,000 injury claims. Behind these numbers lie pain and
suffering by workers and their families. Clearly, Government agencies should
strive to do more to improve workplace safety and health and reduce the costs
of injury to workers and taxpayers. Many workplace injuries are preventable.
Therefore, I am establishing SHARE: Safety, Health, and
Return-to-Employment Initiative, a safe workplace initiative for fiscal years
2004-2006. The initiative's four goals cover the most important elements of a
strong safety and health management program: lower workplace injury and illness
case rates, lower lost-time injury and illness case rates, timely reporting of
injuries and illnesses, and fewer lost days resulting from work injuries and
illnesses. The Secretary of Labor will lead the SHARE Initiative and will
measure the performance of each department and agency against the goals. I
direct all executive branch departments and agencies to participate in SHARE
for this 3-year period.
Each department and agency will collaborate with the Department of Labor to
establish challenging annual goals based on its current performance in the four
areas. The Department of Labor will measure and track agency performance, and
will report to me annually on each agency's progress towards meeting its goals.
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs will also work with Federal
departments and agencies to develop new workplace strategies to improve safety
and health at high injury rate sites, assist them in improving the timeliness
of reporting claims through electronic and other means, and guide them in
providing suitable work and tools for injured and disabled employees.
Federal supervisors and managers must focus management tools and resources
on eliminating unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. Federal employees
should be encouraged to perform their jobs safely, effectively, and alertly to
remain injury- free. Dedication to ensuring our Government workforce family is
safe and healthy preserves the resources of Government and helps promote the
delivery of Government services to the American people.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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