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Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Difference between revisions
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (view source)
Revision as of 01:48, 11 February 2025
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In 2000, OSHA issued an ergonomics standard. In March 2001, [[United States Congress|Congress]] voted to repeal the standard through the [[Congressional Review Act]]. The repeal, one of the first <!-- A reporting standard was blocked by Congressional Review Act in 2017: | In 2000, OSHA issued an ergonomics standard. In March 2001, [[United States Congress|Congress]] voted to repeal the standard through the [[Congressional Review Act]]. The repeal, one of the first <!-- A reporting standard was blocked by Congressional Review Act in 2017: | ||
https://www.epi.org/perkins/congressional-review-act-resolution-to-block-the-department-of-labors-rule-titled-clarification-of-employers-continuing-obligation-to-make-and-maintain-an-accurate-record-o/ -->major pieces of legislation signed by President | https://www.epi.org/perkins/congressional-review-act-resolution-to-block-the-department-of-labors-rule-titled-clarification-of-employers-continuing-obligation-to-make-and-maintain-an-accurate-record-o/ -->major pieces of legislation signed by President George W. Bush, is the first instance that Congress has successfully used the Congressional Review Act to block regulation. | ||
Since 2001, OSHA has issued the following standards: | Since 2001, OSHA has issued the following standards: | ||
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A ''New York Times'' investigation in 2003 showed that over the 20-year period from 1982 to 2002, 2,197 workers died in 1,242 incidents in which OSHA investigators concluded that employers had willfully violated workplace safety laws. In 93% of these fatality cases arising from wilful violation, OSHA made no referral to the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] for criminal prosecution.<ref name="Barstow">David Barstow, [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/22/us/us-rarely-seeks-charges-for-deaths-in-workplace.html?mcubz=1 U.S. Rarely Seeks Charges For Deaths in Workplace], ''New York Times'' (December 22, 2003).</ref> The ''Times'' investigation found that OSHA had failed to pursue prosecution "even when employers had been cited before for the very same safety violation" and even in cases where multiple workers died. In interviews, current and former OSHA officials said that the low rates of criminal enforcement were the result of "a bureaucracy that works at every level to thwart criminal referrals. ... that fails to reward, and sometimes penalizes, those who push too hard for prosecution" and that " aggressive enforcement [was] suffocated by endless layers of review.<ref name="Barstow"/> | A ''New York Times'' investigation in 2003 showed that over the 20-year period from 1982 to 2002, 2,197 workers died in 1,242 incidents in which OSHA investigators concluded that employers had willfully violated workplace safety laws. In 93% of these fatality cases arising from wilful violation, OSHA made no referral to the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] for criminal prosecution.<ref name="Barstow">David Barstow, [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/22/us/us-rarely-seeks-charges-for-deaths-in-workplace.html?mcubz=1 U.S. Rarely Seeks Charges For Deaths in Workplace], ''New York Times'' (December 22, 2003).</ref> The ''Times'' investigation found that OSHA had failed to pursue prosecution "even when employers had been cited before for the very same safety violation" and even in cases where multiple workers died. In interviews, current and former OSHA officials said that the low rates of criminal enforcement were the result of "a bureaucracy that works at every level to thwart criminal referrals. ... that fails to reward, and sometimes penalizes, those who push too hard for prosecution" and that " aggressive enforcement [was] suffocated by endless layers of review.<ref name="Barstow"/> | ||
OSHA has also been criticized for taking too long to develop new regulations. For instance, speaking about OSHA under the | OSHA has also been criticized for taking too long to develop new regulations. For instance, speaking about OSHA under the George W. Bush presidency on the specific issue of combustible dust explosions, [[Chemical Safety Board]] appointee Carolyn Merritt said: "The basic disappointment has been this attitude of no new regulation. They don't want the industry to be pestered. In some instances, the industry has to be pestered in order to comply."<ref>{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Pelley |title=Is Enough Done To Stop Explosive Dust? |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-enough-done-to-stop-explosive-dust/ |work=60 Minutes |publisher=CBSnews.com |date=June 8, 2008 |access-date=June 9, 2008 }}</ref> | ||
== Directors == | == Directors == | ||