Committee on Education and Labor : U.S. House of Representatives

Press Releases

House Democrats Introduce Legislation to Boost Workplace Safety
Protecting America's Workers Act Aims to Curb Worker Injuries and Deaths

Thursday, April 26, 2007

 

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Reps. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Phil Hare (D-IL) today introduced legislation to cut down on the number of American workers killed or injured on the job each year. U.S. Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced identical legislation in the Senate.

A new report released yesterday by the AFL-CIO showed that in 2005 - the most recent data available - over 5,700 workers in the U.S. were killed on the job, and another 4.2 million workers were injured. That means that an average of 16 workers die on the job each day.

"Since the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970, thousands of lives have been saved. But too many people still die at work and millions more become injured or sick," said Woolsey, the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. "This administration has a dismal record on health and safety. OSHA has fallen down on its job and turned its back on workers. With this bill, we can make OSHA mean something again and can further the most important goal: to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for all workers."

"The Bush Administration has weakened OSHA to the point that is almost obsolete - scrapping ergonomics standards and planned rules on cancer causing substances, reactive chemicals, and infectious diseases," said Hare, a member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.  "OSHA regulations are more than just words - they are often the only protection employees have from workplace hazards that can injure, sicken, or kill them. As we prepare to mourn for those Americans who lost their lives in the workplace this weekend, there is no more appropriate time to reintroduce this bill to strengthen OSHA and increase penalties for employers who refuse to play by the rules."

The Protecting America's Workers Act would boost workplace safety by strengthening and expanding the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Specifically, the legislation would:

  • Apply federal safety standards to workers who are not currently covered, including federal, state, and local employees, and some private sector employees;
  • Increase penalties against employers for repeated and willful violations of the law, including making felony charges available when an employer's repeated and willful violation of the law leads to a worker's death or serious injury;
  • Protect workers who blow the whistle on unsafe workplace conditions;
  • Enhance the public's right to know about safety violations; and
    Make clear that employers must provide the necessary safety equipment to their workers, such as goggles, gloves, respirators, or other personal protective equipment.  

To read the AFL-CIO's report, Death on the Job, click here.

This Saturday, April 28, is Workers' Memorial Day, a day to commemorate workers who have been killed on the job and to recommit to making workplaces safer.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Kiley / Rachel Racusen
2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-226-0853