In case you don’t have anything better to do at 9:00 EDT tomorrow morning, tune in here to watch a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on “Safeguarding Workers and Employers from OSHA Overreach and Skewed Priorities.”
In addition to the three industry witnesses, I will be testifying for the minority Democrats
Needless to say, the Republicans didn’t consult with me about the title of the hearing. If they had, I would have recommended just stopping after the second word.
Regarding their noble aspiration to “protect” workers from OSHA overreach, I pay close attention to all things OSHA, and from what I detect, there are approximately zero workers in the United States complaining about “OSHA Overreach.” And if you’re concerned about the difficult and painful process OSHA uses to triage its regulatory priorities, the obvious solution is to significantly increase OSHA’s budget. Problem solved.
Employers, on the other hand (or more accurately, business associations and their law firms), have opposed every OSHA standard issued over the last 50 years: “OSHA standards are inflexible, one-size fits all, job killing, small business killing overreach that cost the American people billions of dollars every day and signal the end of Western Civilization as we know it, etc, etc, etc.”
Yet somehow, since OSHA’s creation, the nation has survived. And workers are safer.
All of these issues will undoubtedly be resolved at tomorrow’s hearing. You can watch live here, or later, as the hearing will be archived.
Or, if you’re in the neighborhood, come on down to the Rayburn Building in person like everyone used to do.
I will post the text of my testimony tomorrow.
Go Jordan! I’ll be there in spirit…and hopefully online too, cheering you on.
Good luck, Jordan.
I’m glad you will be there testifying. I wish I could be there.
Thanks Jordan for continuing the never-ending fight for workers’ rights to a safe and healthy workplace!
Good luck Jordan! Break a leg!!
I can’t sleep at night. I stopped eating. I’m a nervous wreck. And it’s all because oh OSHA OVEREACH!
Give them all you’ve got Jordan! So happy you get to testify! At the least you can counter what the US Chamber(pot) of Commerce claims (as if they really represented all of small business – from my experience they re much more anti OSHA than many employers). Maybe if local prosecutors were doing their jobs and charging employers for egregious acts (e.g., trench cave in deaths due to no protective devices), one or two of the R’s would see the value of OSHA like a number did in the old pre-Gingrich days.
Jordan, thank you for putting in the effort to show up and speak truth to power, when we all know in advance what the outcome of this supposed “hearing” will be.
Give ‘em hell, Jordan.
Thanks for being a bulldog for workers and safety professionals. As the Senior Safety Manager of a mid-size, family owned and operated powerhouse heavy site preparation and underground utility installation company I am grateful for OSHA/VOSH.
What is interesting to me is that the big GCs are going above OSHA standards in requirements for their subs, while small companies are balking. (DPR, HITT, Hourigan, Whiting-Turner are a few whose projects we have worked on that make safety a true priority over schedule- at least in the Richmond, VA market).
We have found good safety practices lead to happier, healthier employees that stay with the company long term. It is also a long term money saver as lower EMRs and 300 stats keep insurance premiums low, and make us more competitive when bidding work.
Keep ringing the bell,
Paul
Paul Ronson
Senior Safety Manager
J.E. Liesfeld Contractor, Inc.
Rockville, VA
Yes, small employers tend to be more problematic than larger employers, which makes it particularly irritating that many politicians advocate to exempt small employers from OSHA standards and enforcement