In 1970, Congress considered annual figures such as these:
- Job-related accidents accounted for more than 14,000 worker deaths.
- Nearly 2 1/2 million workers were disabled.
- Ten times as many person-days were lost from job-related disabilities as from strikes.
- Estimated new cases of occupational diseases totaled 300,000
In terms of lost production and wages, medical expenses, and disability compensation, the burden on the nation’s commerce was staggering. The human cost was beyond calculations. Therefore, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1979 (the Act) was passed by a bipartisan Congress “…to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources.”