“From 2003 to 2007, the total number of injuries and illnesses with days away from work declined 11.9 percent, which demonstrates that a comprehensive strategy of targeted enforcement coupled with an emphasis on prevention through compliance assistance is most effective,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “In addition, it's noteworthy that the ergonomic injury rate declined 9 percent from 2006 to 2007.”
According to OSHA Acting Administrator Thomas M. Stohler, these decreasing rates “demonstrate that OSHA's balanced approach to workplace safety is working.”
“It’s an approach that encompasses education, training, information sharing, inspection, regulation and aggressive enforcement that are helping achieve significant reductions in workplace injuries and illnesses,” he said.