Workers Can’t Depend on Regulations
Friday, April 3rd, 2009
James Parks of the AFL-CIO blog writes:
“U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released yesterday reveals that the Bush administration’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) systematically failed to perform follow-up inspections for employers who put workers in serious danger. That failure could have led to nearly 60 deaths on the job.”
In particular, the report faulted the Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP), which the Bush Administration initiated in 2003. EEP was supposed to devote attention and resources to improving safety in companies with a history of workplace fatalities. However, EEP was mismanaged so badly that OSHA did not comply with its own requirements 97 percent of the time. The report says 58 workers were killed by job hazards in workplaces where OSHA failed in its oversight duties.
The OSHA report is available online in PDF form.
We all hope that a change in administration will lead to better management at OSHA. However, the larger point is that workers cannot depend on government alone to enforce safety in the workplace. What can workers do to protect themselves?
As reported on this blog last week, labor unions can play an important role in improving workplace safety. Unions give workers a voice to say no to hazardous conditions. Non-union workers are at greater risk for all kinds of employer abuse, including dangerous working conditions.
Workplaces can be very hazardous places. At least one meatpacking worker in ten is injured on the job every year. For another example, statistics show us that most asbestos exposure happens in a workplace, and asbestos exposure leads to mesothelioma and other deadly diseases.
When all else fails to protect workers, there are courts. The OSHA report underlines one reason to oppose “tort reform” measures that would protect employers from litigation by injured employees. Locking courthouse doors does nothing to make workplaces safer. In the end, a court may be the only place an injured worker can receive compensation. And the threat of litigation could make workplace safety a priority for some employers.
April 3, 2009
Barbara O’Brien
