Columns
Friday, April 20, 2007
no retreat on workplace safety
On an average workday in the United States, 16 workers lose their lives as a result of a workplace-related injury, and another 12,000 become sick or are seriously injured. Each year, April 28 is set aside as Workers Memorial Day to remember and honor those who are killed or injured - or who contract illnesses - in the workplace.
Work place safety is an issue that I take very seriously. My father worked many years as a coal miner in one of the dozens of coal mines that were located south-central Iowa. He developed devastating lung problems as a result. I shuddered, early last year, when 13 miners were killed in the Sago Mine disaster. Twice as many miners died in 2006 as in the year before.
In 1970, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, with the aim of making sure that employers provide their workers a place of employment free from known hazards to safety and health, including exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, and unsanitary conditions.
This law resulted in dramatic improvements in workplace safety. But, in recent years, enforcement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fallen off. In addition, the Bush administration has largely replaced the process of issuing mandatory regulations with voluntary guidelines, which may or may not be honored.
I have fought back against misguided policies that have increased the dangers and hazards that Americans face in the workplace. I led the charge against rollbacks in overtime-pay protections. I opposed the weakening of ergonomics standards which were put in place to prevent musculoskeletal injuries - things like back injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome. And I have worked to improve mine safety standards and enforcement.
Much more needs to be done to improve workplace safety, and I welcome any suggestions you might have based on your own workplace experiences. On Workers Memorial Day, we need to do more than remember those who have been injured or killed on the job. We also need to renew our commitment to strong, effective enforcement to ensure that every American has a safe workplace.
