What are your views regarding the cost of OSHA enforcement, compared to the actual benefit in reduced worker injury/illness/death?

Being in a non-OSHA state, Louisiana, we still deal with OSHA rules and regs that have been adopted. We learn, especially in Confined Space Rescue and Hazmat, several of the CFRs. At each one of our stations we have the OSHA posters on the bulletin boards about worker benefits and all the stuff that is set forth to protect us.
However, in the long run, do you feel that the actual costs of having this government organization out there policing rules and regs and coming up with new ones is actually beneficial compared to the number of reduced on the job injuries/illnesses/deaths?
At a time when the economy is such distress should our government still be pouring money into this organization, or is just another money pit? Thoughts, feelings, opinions, personal experiences? If you have any please share.

TCSS
-Jonathan LCFD

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on September 20, 2010 at 7:51pm

I've never seen corrupt OSHA investigators or even heard about one being accused of being less than honest.

I've seen some that we had to educate about the realities of what they were enforcing, but most of them were interested in learning as long as things were approached positively and while demonstrating that the department was in compliance, even if that compliance was done differently than what the investigators were previously used to.