As OSHA inspections went down in 2018, fatalities went up

Some of the most important jobs often have a certain degree of danger to them. Businesses ranging from engine work to construction must ask employees to work with heavy machinery and high-powered tools, all of which can very quickly kill or maim a person that doesn't know what they're doing. Therefore, it makes sense to minimize risk by demanding that both workers and employers follow a set of rules. 

This is exactly why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created. Established in 1971, OSHA has consistently fought for and protected worker's rights and proper safety regulations. However, a recent link between workplace fatalities and OSHA inspections is calling into question whether the organization is currently doing enough. 

Data shows increase in fatalities 
A study by the National Employment Law Project based on data from OSHA has come across a startling revelation about deaths on the job. The number of fatality/catastrophe investigations in FY 2018 reached 929. This is an increase over FY 2017, which saw 837 investigations. However, the year-to-year comparison wasn't the sole issue here. The number of inquiries following a death in FY 2018 was a 10-year record high. In FY 2008, there were 936 investigations. 

While not all of these investigations were directly tied to a death,cases without a fatality were rare, the National Employment Law Project found. Therefore, the notion that workplace deaths are increasing should weigh heavy on the minds of both employers and employees. 

Inspectors are decreasing 
While the increase in workplace fatality investigations is certainly disconcerting, it's only part of the whole picture. An additional fact to consider is that OSHA has been decreasing the number of safety and health inspectors. What's more, it would appear that this is a recent trend. 

OSHA's data shows that in 1982, the organization had 1,003 compliance officers. For quite some time, OSHA held close to this number. In 2010, the bureau had 1,016 compliance officers on staff. Sadly, this did not continue. By 2016, the number of inspectors dropped to 952 and by 2019, the compliance officer staff had a combined total of 875. 

That said, the problem doesn't seem to lie with any sort of budgetary shortfalls. Instead, as the National Employment Law Project pointed out, the lack of compliance officers is directly related to a slow approach to replace staff that has left. In fact, there wasn't a single inspector hired to fill a vacancy in FY 2017. 

What can businesses do?  
Fully understanding this problem will require further investigation and thought, and any sort of reformation of OSHA or the organization's hiring policies will have to come from a national level. That said, every employer and employee should know that safety begins and ends with them. Inspections and regulations mean nothing if people aren't willing to fully commit to a safety-focused perspective at work. 

Regardless of their inspector situation, the best place to find safety guidelines is OSHA's list of worker rights. The importance of this document is how it is structured. The beginning tips are about proactive measures employees can take. This includes receiving the proper training and paying attention to it, as well as requesting information from the employer about OSHA standards and health codes. However, towards the end, the document tells workers how they can file complaints and request investigations of a hazard. 

Therefore, it is important that employers ensure employees never have to escalate a situation in the first place. Perhaps the most important deterrent to a worker's complaint has to do with requesting action following a hazard or a violation.

While everyone makes mistakes, it's vitally important for employers to correct any issue as quickly as possible. Not only does this fix the problem and avoid future ones from developing, but it makes your workers understand that their voice matters. If they know that you'll take their issues seriously, they'll come to you before escalating any sort of situation. What's more, they'll know that they also have a responsibility to keep an eye out for violations that could harm them or their co-workers. Safety should be the top priority of any workplace, and it is up to the employer to create a culture that reflects that fact. 

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