I’ll taking a break for the next couple of weeks (and hopefully away from the computer.) But just because there’s nothing new and exciting to read at Confined Space, doesn’t mean you have to sink into boredom and despondency. Check out all of the great articles (and a podcast) from this country’s great journalists who enlightening the public about the damage this administration (and its corporate allies) are doing to worker safety and health.
Podcast
Fumed, Public Health Watch: A great podcast from Public Health Watch about the people who live in the shadows of America’s chemical plants and oil refineries.
Weakening of OSHA and Worker Protections
OSHA Just Reduced the Value of a Worker’s Life, Liza Gross, Inside Climate News
E.P.A. Plans to Reconsider a Ban on Cancer-Causing Asbestos, Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times
How The Trump Administration Is Making All of Our Jobs More Dangerous, Kim Kelly, Teen Vogue
Trump’s ‘Gold Standard’ for Science, Manufactures Doubt, David Michaels, The Atlantic
Fool’s gold (The Demise of Science),
Trump administration wants to spike safety rules for entertainment workers — citing SeaWorld Orlando OSHA case as support, McKenna Schueler, Orlando Weekly
Owner of fireworks company linked to deadly explosion was denied federal license, Matthias Gafni, Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle
The Demise of NIOSH
Trump Just Escalated His War on Coal Miners. Their Unions Are Fighting Back, Kim Kelley, In These Times
The CDC’s critical occupational safety institute has been virtually wiped out, , , , , and
How Black Lung Came Roaring Back to Coal Country,
OSHA Heat Standard
Will the Trump Administration Save Workers from Preventable Overheating Deaths?, Liza Gross, Inside Climate News
Trump’s OSHA Nominee Has a History With Heat and UPS Drivers, Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times
Inside Trump’s purge of federal heat experts, Ariel Wittenberg, E&E News
Employers to OSHA: Don’t kill the heat rule. Weaken it, Ariel Wittenberg, E&E News
Workers Have Died in Extreme Heat as OSHA Has Debated Protections, Ariel Wittenberg, Scientific American
The Demise of the Chemical Safety Board
Trump Wants to Kill a Chemical Safety Board. Chemical Makers Object, Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times
Chemical Industry Pushes Back on Trump Plan to Axe Safety Watchdog, Jonathan Katz, Chemical Processing
How cuts at the federal level can affect finding answers to the Esparto explosion, Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee
Trump shutdown of chemical safety watchdog could mean ‘more explosions, more deaths’ in Cancer Alley, Tristan Baurick, Louisiana Illuminator
White House moves to kill chemical safety board, despite industry support, Jeff Johnson, Chemical and Engineering News
Enjoy your time off. Such a great idea that the House decided to follow your lead.