Lyndon B. Johnson photo

Statement by the President Upon Issuing a New Safety Policy for the Federal Service.

February 16, 1965

TODAY we open another front in our war on waste--waste of human resources, productive skills, and money.

Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz has alerted me that the incidence of injury to Federal civilian employees is no better today than it was 10 years ago and direct costs to the Government have risen nearly 50 percent.

In the last 7 years alone, over 1,200 workers have lost their lives through job injuries in the civilian service of the United States.

Nearly 300,000 disabling injuries have been sustained by Federal employees.

Over 18,500,000 man-days of potential production have been lost.

Direct costs to the Government in compensation and medical care approached a quarter of a billion dollars.

Indirect costs of property damage, replacements, and other factors are estimated as being four times as great, making the total cost at least $1 1/4 billion.

This is inexcusable waste because--nearly all of these deaths and injuries are preventable.

As a first step in reducing these needless tragedies and this waste, I am launching Mission SAFETY-70.

Under this mission I am directing the Federal departments and agencies to reduce their injury frequency 30 percent by 1970.

Attainment of this goal would prevent about 45,000 injuries and save us almost a quarter of a billion dollars of direct and indirect costs.

Every life is precious and each must be safeguarded; success in this first step would save approximately 200 lives.

I have twice presented President's Safety Awards to those departments and agencies which have markedly improved their safety performance. So I know some Federal agencies have already enlisted in this war on waste. Last year I said I wanted every Federal administrator to follow their example. I meant every word.

A 30 percent reduction in the frequency of Federal work injuries is attainable. One-half of all our employees now work in agencies whose injury frequency matches the goal which I have set for the Government as a whole. It is time for the agencies with higher-than-average rates to effect significant reductions and for all other agencies to improve further their present performance. No one can relax in the pursuit of safety.

I am today issuing a safety policy for the Federal Government as the Nation's largest employer. This policy will guide Government administrators in the discharge of their responsibilities and in this attainment of the objectives I have set forth.

The Secretary of Labor will report to me periodically on the progress achieved by the various Federal agencies.

Note: On the same day the President issued a memorandum for the heads of executive departments and agencies together with a directive entitled "A Safety Policy for the Federal Service." The memorandum and directive are printed in the Federal Register (30 F.R. 2517) and in the Code of Federal Regulations (3 CFR, 1965 Supp.).

Lyndon B. Johnson, Statement by the President Upon Issuing a New Safety Policy for the Federal Service. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/238688

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