ALEXANDRIA, VA (December 10, 2002) — Recently, when PIA/GATF asked to join an alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to improve safety, the response from the agency was a surprised “yes”. OSHA considers printing to be among the safest industries in manufacturing – and getting safer. Just because the printing industry is considered “manufacturing,” some think printing is not safe. In fact, analysis of Department of Labor statistics reveals printing is one of the safest within non-durable goods manufacturing. Bureau of Labor Statistics data on injury and illnesses for non-durable goods manufacturing consistently ranks printing and publishing third safest since 1994, behind only petroleum and coal products (#1) and chemical and allied products (#2). Printing and publishing’s injury and illness rates have ranged from a high of 6.7 cases per 100 full-time workers in 1994 down to a low of 5.0 cases in 1999. The injury and illness rate for printing and publishing was 5.1 cases for 2000 (the latest data available). The injury and illness rate for non-durable goods manufacturing in 2000 was 7.8 cases per 100 workers and for durable goods manufacturing the rate was 9.8 cases. By comparison, other industries’ rates were the following for 2000: construction 8.3; paper and allied products 6.5; and wholesales and retail trade 5.9. “Printing and publishing’s success in achieving safer workplaces is the direct result of safer practices, procedures and training by printers, and improved equipment from manufacturers,” says Michael Winn of R.R. Donnelley & Sons, Inc., and chair of PIA’s Employment Policy Committee. “We’re pleased with the results, but obviously more can always be done to protect our employees. For example, Donnelley has joined PIA/GATF’s advisory board for a Susan Harwood grant recently awarded by OSHA to reduce ergonomics injuries in printing – an effort to further reduce injury rates.” Jim Kyger, PIA’s Human Relations Director says, “The industry’s success in reducing injuries and illnesses is well recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which in recent years has been focusing on more targeted inspections for unsafe workplaces. OSHA inspection data reveals that inspections at printing plants have been reduced and citations are fewer.” OSHA inspections, citations, and total penalties for printing and publishing have all dropped dramatically from Fiscal Year 2001 to Fiscal Year 2002 as the chart below shows.   # of Citations # of Inspections Total Penalties FY 2001 1,062 215 $582,064 FY 2002 825 175 $337,427 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Difference: 237 40 $244,637