In the latest attempt to control workplace injury costs,
President Bush has established a program for fiscal 2004-2005
called SHARE (Safety, Health and Return-to-Employment).
A memo from Bush to departmental and agency heads laid out
four main program goals such as lower workplace injury and
illness rates, lower lost-time injury and illness case rates,
timely reporting of injuries and illnesses, and fewer lost
days resulting from work injuries and illnesses.
Agencies should do more to promote health and safety to reduce
the injury-related cost amounting to $2 billion dollars,
and 2 million lost days annually, said the memo, which also
stated that in fiscal 2003 a federal workforce of 2.7 million
filed 168,000 injury claims.
Such costs get charged back to agency budgets and effectively
reduce the money that managers have to take care of tasks.
All agencies and departments will be required to participate
in SHARE for the three-year period, and collaborate with DoL
to develop goals and strategies based on current performance
in the four areas and will measure, track and report on
performance.