The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is tasked with ensuring that every
working man and woman in America has "safe and healthful working conditions." Established in
1970 under Nixon's "new federalism," and housed in the Department of Labor, its enforcement
staff comes from both federal and state agencies. The agencies responsible for worker health and
safety have never been well funded, and with their budgets shrinking, their ability to achieve
their mission is increasingly at risk. New cuts are likely to result in more unsafe workplaces,
more accidents and injuries, and higher costs for business and society down the road.
