Rep. Andrews Introduces Legislation to Provide Worker Safety Protections to State, County and Municipal Employees

I recently introduced legislation that would extend important worker health and safety protections to public sector employees.  The Fairness for State and Local Workers Act will expand the important Occupational Safety and Health Act’s (OSHA) protections to include state, county and municipal employees. OSHA protects workers by requiring employers to provide their workers with an environment free from dangers to their health and safety.  The agency overseeing OSHA also issues basic safety and health standards that employers must follow and provides a way for employees to file complaints and get OSHA inspections without fear of employer retaliation.

For far too long thousands of state, county and city workers have not been covered by the workplace health and safety standards that protect private sector employees. My bill will fix this problem by expanding worker health and safety protections to the public sector workers by requiring all workplaces to abide by the same safety and health standards.

A report recently released by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board on a fatal workplace accident in Florida highlights the need to extend important safety protections to public sector workplaces. A January 11, 2006 explosion at the Bethune Point Wastewater Treatment Plant – owned and operated by the City of Daytona Beach, Florida – fatally burned two municipal workers; a third worker suffered grave injuries. The CSB concluded that the plant’s safety standards were inadequate.  Florida does not require public employers to follow OSHA standards. The Board called on the Florida legislature and governor to require workplace safety protections for Florida's state, county, and municipal employees. Public employees deserve the same protections provided to private sector workers.  As a member of the House Committee that oversees labor and workplace safety standards, I will continue to fight for strong protections for our nation’s workers.

Return to the Washington Updates Page