Job Safety - What You Should Know
NEW OUTREACH FUNDING FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING
WORKERS IS HIGHLIGHT OF OSHA'S FY 2004 BUDGET
Enforcement, compliance assistance funding also increase
WASHINGTON
-- More than $2.2 million in new funding is earmarked for outreach to Spanish and other non-English-speaking workers in the President Bush's Fiscal Year 2004 budget for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, agency administrator John Henshaw announced today. This is the first time OSHA's budget will include additional funding for multilingual outreach. The President's total budget for OSHA in FY 2004 is $450 million - an increase of $13
million, or about three percent over the budget request for FY 2003.
"This Administration recognizes the value of safety and health in America's workplaces," Henshaw said. "At a time when the nation is tightening its belt, the President has not only proposed a budget increase but has specifically allocated money for new programs to reach those most in need of OSHA's assistance."
Under the President's proposed budget, the
agency will receive an additional $7.2 million for compliance assistance and outreach, including the new multilingual initiative. The new money will allow OSHA to expand its outreach to Spanish-speaking workers, whose fatality rates rose 11 percent in 2000 and 9 percent in 2001. Existing outreach efforts include a variety of Spanish-language programs, services and collaborative efforts at both national and local levels. With additional money the agency can expand these activities
and add new ones.
Other new areas of compliance assistance include special outreach to the small business community and expansion of OSHA's voluntary and partnership programs.
"Our commitment to assure the safety and health of workers in this country extends to all workers, regardless of their language or their immigration status," said Henshaw. "OSHA's bottom line remains reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities in every workplace in this nation."
Enforcement remains a high priority for OSHA, with an increase of $4.2 million for enforcement activities that will continue to target the workplaces and industries with the highest rates of injuries, illnesses and fatalities. OSHA has scheduled 37,700 inspections of workplaces this year, and is planning on the same number in FY 2004. The agency also looks to fund a health hazard survey to investigate chemicals associated with respiratory disease in the workplace.
Under the President's proposed budget, OSHA will also receive an additional $2 million for support of state plan partners; $2 million for evaluation projects; and $750,000 each for expanded health targeting and emergency preparedness programs.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
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