The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), alongside other leading safety and health organizations, signed a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging the administration to ensure that leadership of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) maintains the agency’s long-standing reputation for accuracy, credibility and independence.
Reliable data from BLS — including the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) — is essential to preventing workplace injuries and fatalities. Sound, independent statistics guide evidence-based safety programs, public policy and business decisions that protect workers and strengthen the economy. Without credible data, safety professionals and employers lose a critical foundation for identifying risks and measuring progress toward safer workplaces.
ASSP regularly collaborates with peer organizations in the occupational EHS fields to advance shared advocacy priorities. These collaborations provide a platform for aligning on key policy issues, sharing best practices and amplifying the collective voice of the profession.
The letter emphasizes that maintaining the independence of BLS is vital to upholding the integrity and reliability of the nation’s safety and health data. In 2023, preventable workplace injuries and fatalities cost the U.S. economy an estimated $176 billion, underscoring the importance of data-driven prevention efforts that save lives and resources.
By supporting this initiative, ASSP reaffirms its commitment to advancing evidence-based safety practices and to protecting the integrity of the data that drives progress in occupational EHS.