The Committee on Education and Labor is committed to improving workplace safety. A safe workplace is a basic necessity for all Americans.
Key Legislation:
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), the chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, today praised President Barack Obama’s announcement of his intention to nominate Dr. David Michaels as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
“President Obama is to be commended for his intent to nominate Dr. David Michaels to lead the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration,” said Miller. “Dr. Michaels' expertise and leadership is needed as OSHA continues to restore vital health and safety protections for America’s workers. I look forward to working with Dr. Michaels and Secretary Solis to ensure the agency has the tools it needs to accomplish this mission.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today praised President Barack Obama’s announcement that he intends to nominate Joe Main as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.
“I applaud President Obama’s intent to nominate Joe Main to lead the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Throughout his career, Joe has been a tireless advocate for the health and safety of our nation’s miners. His experience and enthusiasm for MSHA’s mission will bring a much-needed jumpstart to an agency that suffered from years of neglect. With Joe at the helm, I am confident that MSHA will refocus on its core mission – ensuring that miners have the health and safety protections they need to return home to their loved ones safely at the end of each shift.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – An Occupational Safety and Health Administration program expanded by the Bush administration lacked proper oversight, did not improve worker safety, and diverted scarce resources from other enforcement duties, the Government Accountability Office concluded in a report released today by two Congressional committees.
Businesses that participate in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program are able to avoid routine inspections, as long as they demonstrate that they have exemplary safety and health program, have no ongoing health and safety enforcement actions, and have an injury and illness rate below the average rates for the industry. The program’s goal is to promote cooperation between workers and management on developing innovative workplace health and safety programs. Prodded by the Bush administration, the VPP more than doubled to 2,174 worksites over the last five years and now covers more than 885,000 out of the 112 million workers covered by Occupational Safety and Health Act.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the House Committee on Education and Labor today applauded the Department of Labor’s announcement that they intend to withdraw a Bush era proposal that would have dramatically weakened future workplace health and safety regulations and slow their enactment.
"The Bush administration’s proposal would have dramatically slowed important initiatives to ensure the health and safety of American workers,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Workplace health and safety regulations must be based on science that responds to real hazards and not slowed by special interest roadblocks set by political appointees.”
The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Thursday, April 30 on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Enhanced Enforcement Program.
The Enhanced Enforcement Program identifies high risk employers by their past behavior and targets them for additional scrutiny. However, the U.S. Department of Labor Inspector General’s Office issued a report on April 1 that found the Bush administration did not properly enforce worker health and safety laws used to oversee employers with history of safety violations. It shows that over the last five years, since the program was established, the EEP has failed to effectively deter employers from putting workers’ lives at risk.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democrats on the House Education and Labor Committee, led by U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, introduced legislation today that would help the nation’s health and safety agencies to hold unscrupulous employers accountable for exposing their workers to preventable hazards.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis today named House Education and Labor Committee senior policy advisor Jordan Barab as deputy assistant secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Barab will also serve as acting assistant secretary for OSHA beginning Monday. Barab has worked for the committee for more than two years specializing in worker health and safety issues.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, today reintroduced legislation to prevent workplace explosions. This weekend is the anniversary of the Imperial Sugar refinery disaster in Port Wentworth, Ga., which killed 14 workers and injured dozens. And yesterday, six workers were injured when a coal dust collector at a power plant in suburban Milwaukee exploded while it was being cleaned.
January 2 marks the third anniversary of the Sago mine tragedy, in which 12 miners died after being trapped by an explosion. Chairman Miller offers his condolences to the miners’ families and promises to work toward improved health and safety for all miners and workers.
This hearing examined the Department of Labor’s last-minute proposal that would dramatically weaken future workplace health standards and further slow their enactment. The department allowed only 30 days for comment on the proposal and would not hold public hearings.
On Wednesday, September 17, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee will hold a hearing examining the Department of Labor's last-minute proposal that would dramatically weaken future workplace health standards and further slow their enactment. The department has allowed only 30 days for comment on the proposal and will not hold public hearings.
"Secret Rule: Impact of the Department of Labor’s Worker Health Risk Assessment Proposal"
Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 10:00 a.m. EDT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today issued an $8.77 million citation to Imperial Sugar for the fatal February explosion that killed 13 workers and seriously injured dozens of others at the company’s sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia.
This unfortunate tragedy didn’t have to happen. The Chemical Safety Board urged OSHA in 2006 to adopt rules that could prevent more deaths and injuries caused by combustible dust explosions. OSHA ignored those recommendations. The agency tasked by Congress to protect the health and safety of American workers has failed to aggressively address this deadly problem.
Today, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) fined the operator of Utah's Crandall Canyon Mine $1.85 million for the disaster that was the site of the worst coal mining tragedy of 2007. Pillars of coal supporting a roof burst, sending coal flying and creating enough force to register a 3.9 on the Richter scale. Rubble blocked every exit, entombing six miners somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 feet underground. Three courageous rescuers who attempted to reach them also died in the rescue effort. Crandall Canyon Mine is operated by Genwal Resources Inc., whose parent company is Murray Energy Corp.
The Committee held a hearing on legislation to help prevent worksite explosions like the one at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, in early February 2008 that killed 12 workers and critically injured 11 others.
The Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Prevention Act (H.R. 5522) would force the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue rules regulating combustible industrial dusts, like sugar dust, that can build up to hazardous levels and explode. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration already has the authority to issue such a rule without Congress passing new legislation, but the agency has failed to act despite the fact that the dangers of combustible dust have been well known for years.
U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and John Barrow (D-GA) introduced the legislation on March 4, 2008. To learn more about H.R. 5522, <a href="http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/edlabor_dem/rel030308.html">click here</a>.