Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
5-31-2026
Degree Name
Master of Science in Occupational Safety and Health Engineering - (M.S.)
Department
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
First Advisor
Roni Barak Ventura
Second Advisor
Arijit K. Sengupta
Third Advisor
Wei Yin
Abstract
Workplace safety in the United States is governed by a system in which some states operate under federal OSHA oversight, while others administer their own OSHA-approved safety and health plans. This duality raises questions about whether state-level control leads to variation in safety and health outcomes. Economic conditions have also been shown to influence workplace injury rates, yet the interaction between safety and health regulations and local economies remains underexplored. Understanding these relationships is critical to protecting workers in occupational settings. The effects of OSHA state-plan status and state-level economic activity on occupational injury and illness rates across the United States were investigated. A panel dataset was constructed by integrating state-level injury and illness data from the BLS with GDP data from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) database. Correlation between variables was explored and a mixed-effects one-way ANCOVA model was used to study the effects of the variables on injury and illness rates over time. The analysis showed that states with dedicated plans had, on average, 1.182 times higher rates of injuries and illnesses compared to states under federal OSHA oversight. The analysis also showed an inverse relationship between GDP and injury rates. The choice between federal and state-level OSHA enforcement was demonstrated to have significant occupational safety and health consequences that are also subject to economic dynamics.
Recommended Citation
Amoorah, Ahmad Abdel Rahman Mohammad, "The effects of OSHA state plans and state GDP on occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States" (2026). Theses. 3546.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/3546
