OSHA has issued an updated National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Amputations. The NEP has been in existence since 2006 and is targeted to industries with high numbers and rates of amputations. In this updated NEP, OSHA is using current enforcement data and Bureau of Labor Statistics injury data to assist with site selection targeting, the same methodology used in the prior NEP.
According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data, manufacturing employers report that 2,000 workers suffered amputations in 2013. The rate of amputations in the manufacturing sector was more than twice as much (1.7 per 10,000 full-time employees) as that of all private industry (0.7). These serious injuries are preventable by following basic safety precautions.