The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is celebrating its 40th year of service to the American workforce this year. OSHA’s assistant secretary David Michaels testified before Congress in October that the agency is diligent about walking the delicate line between protecting workers and not interfering with job creation.
In 1971, about 38 workers died on the job per calendar day in the United States, Michaels said. Today that number is about a dozen in a workforce that has doubled since then. He reported that serious injuries also are down dramatically thanks in part to OSHA’s regulations.
Michaels made a case for OSHA’s positive impact on the American economy. He used examples from North Carolina and Florida where preventable explosions in factories not only hurt and killed employees, but ultimately led to the plants closing down and damaging the local economies. He also cited a Liberty Mutual Insurance Company report that outlined the toll workplaces injuries can take on American companies, families and the economy. He even made a case for continuing to fund the agency as good for the economy.
The agency’s penalties are different for various grades of violation and the fines are tiered depending on the size of the business. OSHA is careful to monitor the effects of the penalties on small businesses, he said.
Because safety precautions often cost money, the agency is careful to keep penalty fines to a minimum so that businesses can comply with the rules. The penalties exist for deterrence and the amounts have been unchanged since 1990, he said. The agency takes into account a business’ size and history when assessing penalties.
Almost all of OSHA’s proof that its regulations are working is in the statistics, which Michael presented at the beginning of his testimony. Occasionally, though, an OSHA inspector will can see real-time effects of the agency’s policies. He gave two examples of workers who were ordered by the agency to vacate unsafe trenches in construction sites only minutes before the trenches collapsed.
The agency has recently streamlined its whistleblower research process to do more investigations without having to significantly increase hiring. OSHA has added four new whistleblower laws to enforce. The agency revised the whistleblower protection manual and held a conference where professional investigators could share best practices.
Workers who have been injured on the job or who feel their workplace is unsafe can contact an attorney who specializes in workplace safety and injury claims.
Robert Alston is with Alston & Baker, PA. To contact a Zephyrhills personal injury lawyer, Zephyrhills divorce lawyer, or Zephyrhills social security lawyer, call 1.888.500.5245 or visit http://www.alstonbakerlaw.com.
