A newsletter of workplace safety and labor issues
The war against the war against mining continues as the Trump Labor Department attempts to save the mining industry from yet another draconian regulation guaranteed to kill thousands of jobs. What was this onerous regulation? A requirement for non-coal miners (“metal/non-metal) that “an examination of the working place be conducted before miners begin working in that place,…
Alexander Acosta, the President’s nominee for Secretary of Labor testified today before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. If you’re interested, you can watch the entire hearing here, although that would be two and a half hours you will never get back. I’m going to review the parts of the hearing that addressed workplace…
Two former commissioners of the Bureau of Labor Statistics sent a letter yesterday to Senate HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA.), urging them to oppose S.J Res 27, a Congressional Review Act resolution that would permanently block OSHA from enforcing a requirement that employers keep accurate injury and illness records.…
No one should go to work expecting to get hurt. And certainly no one should go to work expecting to get assaulted. Unfortunately, assault at work is a common occurrence for this country’s care givers — health care workers and especially nurses. And unlike many workplace injuries, violence is often accompanied by serious psychological trauma,…
New York Times reporter Barry Meier writes about OSHA’s failure to issue any enforcement-related press releases since inauguration and attacks on worker safety and health regulations. Trump admin has yet to issue a single OSHA press release highlighting fine for safety violation w @danielle_ivory t.co/5PeiXIOXoO — Barry Meier (@BarryMeier) March 13, 2017
Good news. The Senate vote on repealing the Volks rule has been postponed from tomorrow until next week. Repeal of the Volks rule, you may recall, will make it impossible for OSHA to enforce accurate recording requirements. Still plenty of time to call you Senators. And urge your friends to call their Senators.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on S.J Res 27/H.J. Res 83 repealing the so-called “Volks Rule.” Repealing this rule will make it impossible for OSHA to cite employers’ recordkeeping requirements in any meaningful way. I explain below in more detail why the repeal of this OSHA regulation will make workplaces less…