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had dropped to about 7 per 100,000. After OSHA's first 20 years in existence, the rate had been cut in half, to 3.5 per 100,000 workers (1992 data). In 2023, the fatality rate was 3.5 per 100,000 workers (BLS 2023), and this was a decline from the previous years. On a more granular level, 5,283 workers died on the job in 2023, and of these, over 1,250 were roadway incidents and over 450 were due to homicides on the job. Falls were the other major factor (885 deaths on the job in 2023). One could look at these rates and numbers and question OSHA's effectiveness. Are civil penalties a deterrent? Under the original 1970 OSH Act, maximum fines for serious violations started at $1,000. In 1990, a major adjustment raised serious violations to $7,000 and willful or repeat violations to $70,000. ey remained at that level until 2015 and now are raised annually through indexing for inflation. OSHA penalties are now at a record high: as of January 15, 2025, the maximum federal fine per violation (and potentially per affected worker) reached $165,514 for willful/repeat violations. State-run OSHA programs, of which there are 22 affecting the private sector, must be at least as stringent as federal OSHA, but often there is a lag time in updating penalties. Prior to the election, South Carolina was feuding with the Biden Administration over the state's refusal to raise their penalties to match the federal levels. Penalties are intended to be a deterrent, not a punishment, and also, by statute, they cannot be high enough to put a company out of business. Yet some question this, and there have been cases where small businesses faced proposed penalties exceeding $500,000—amounts that, without mitigation in settlement, could have been devastating to their survival So, in the push to shrink the federal government, is it time to end OSHA? is is not a new concept, by the way. In 1995, the Cato Institute (a Washington policy group) published an article entitled "Abolishing OSHA." "Without federal protec ons and training, could negligent employers—once kept in check by inspec ons and fines— cause more workplace disrup ons?" Take the pulse of the pallet market. Download our exclusive pallet market survey. Our exclusive pallet market survey has the pallet marketplace data and insights you need to gain a competitive edge in an ever-changing market. Collected from industry leaders, it's an invaluable, information-rich resource. Scan the code, download the survey for free today.

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