Commonly Used Statistics

Federal OSHA coverage

Federal OSHA is a small agency; with our state partners we have approximately 2,200 inspectors responsible for the health and safety of 130 million workers, employed at more than 8 million worksites around the nation — which translates to about one compliance officer for every 59,000 workers.

Federal OSHA has 10 regional offices and 90 local area offices.

OSHA budget

FY 2011: $573,096,000
FY 2012: $583,386,000

OSHA inspections

FY 2011 Total Federal inspections: 40,648
FY 2011 Total 18(b) State Plan inspections: 52,056
[Source: OSHA Directorate of Enforcement Programs]

Worker Injuries, illnesses and fatalities

4,609 workers were killed on the job in 2011 [BLS revised 2011 workplace fatality data*] (3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers) — almost 90 a week or nearly 13 deaths every day. (This is a slight increase from the 4,551, fatal work injuries in 2009, but the second lowest annual total since the fatal injury census was first conducted in 1992).

729 Hispanic or Latino workers were killed from work-related injuries in 2011 — more than 14 deaths a week or two Latino workers killed every single day of the year, all year long.

"Every day in America, 13 people go to work and never come home. Every year in America, nearly 4 million people suffer a workplace injury from which some may never recover. These are preventable tragedies that disable our workers, devastate our families, and damage our economy. American workers are not looking for a handout or a free lunch. They are looking for a good day's pay for a hard day's work. They just want to go to work, provide for their families, and get home in one piece."
– Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Workers Memorial Day speech April 26, 2012

"Passed with bipartisan support, the creation of OSHA was a historic moment of cooperative national reform. Forty years of common-sense standards and strong enforcement, training, outreach and compliance assistance have saved thousands of lives and prevented countless injuries. Just look at the difference: In 1970, 38 workers were killed on the job every day in America; now it's 13 a day. This is a great improvement, but it's still 13 too many."
– OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor David Michaels, Workers Memorial Day remarks, National Labor College, Silver Spring, MD, April 27, 2012

Construction's "Fatal Four"

Out of 4,114* worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2011, 721 or 17.5% were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, followed by electrocution, struck by object, and caught-in/between. These "Fatal Four" were responsible for nearly three out of five (57%) construction worker deaths in 2011*, BLS reports. Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 410 workers' lives in America every year.

  • Falls – 251 out of 721 total deaths in construction in CY 2011 (35%)
  • Electrocutions – 67 (9%)
  • Struck by Object – 73 (10%)
  • Caught-in/between – 19 (3%)

Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards violated in FY2011

  1. Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
  2. Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
  3. Hazard communication standard, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200)
  4. Respiratory protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134)
  5. Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), general industry (29 CFR 1910.147)
  6. Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment, general industry (29 CFR 1910.305)
  7. Powered industrial trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178)
  8. Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053)
  9. Electrical systems design, general requirements, general industry (29 CFR 1910.303)
  10. Machine guarding (machines, general requirements, general industry) (29 CFR 1910.212)

OSHA is Making a Difference

  • In four decades, OSHA and our state partners, coupled with the efforts of employers, safety and health professionals, unions and advocates, have had a dramatic effect on workplace safety.
  • Since 1970, workplace fatalities have been reduced by more than 65 percent and occupational injury and illness rates have declined by 67 percent. At the same time, U.S. employment has almost doubled.
  • Worker deaths in America are down — from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 13 a day in 2011
  • Worker injuries and illnesses are down — from 10.9 incidents per 100 workers in 1972 to fewer than 4 per 100 in 2010.

See also: OSHA at 40 webpage

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