{"id":13782,"date":"2026-04-28T07:46:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:46:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/?p=13782"},"modified":"2026-04-24T10:53:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T14:53:59","slug":"remembering-our-nations-fallen-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/2026\/04\/28\/remembering-our-nations-fallen-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Our Nation\u2019s Fallen Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"

M<\/span>ore than 50 years ago, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act to ensure that all working men and women (and now, increasingly, children) have the right to a safe job. This law requires employers to provide workplaces free from recognized hazards. And yet every year, thousands of workers never make it home at the end of the day.<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries<\/span><\/a>, 5,070 workers died as a result of job-related traumatic injuries in 2024 (48 of them in my state of Massachusetts<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span>That\u2019s one every 104 minutes. And millions more suffered injuries and illnesses due to safety hazards and toxic exposures on the job. The kicker is that nearly all of these tragedies and dangerous conditions are preventable.<\/p>\n

Today, April 28, is Workers Memorial Day, a day when people here in Boston, across the nation, and around the world pause to recognize, remember, and honor those workers who have paid the ultimate price —\u00a0 suffering, dying, or becoming disabled as a result of injuries and illnesses related to their jobs. Workers Memorial Day also calls on us to fight for the living to protect the lives and livelihoods of our loved ones, our friends, neighbors, and coworkers, along with the nameless others who provide us with the goods and services we rely on every day.<\/p>\n

Since the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 and the Mine Safety and Health Act in 1969, critical health and safety regulations have been enacted, working conditions have improved, and thousands of lives have been saved. And workers and unions continue to organize and fight for safe jobs, a living wage, and benefits that provide health care, sick leave, and vacation time.<\/p>\n

But challenges remain, especially in Trump Administration. Our workplace protection agencies are underfunded and understaffed. OSHA’s FY 2026 budget is set at $582.4 million<\/b> with 1,587 full-time equivalent employees<\/b>, reflecting significant reductions from FY 2025 (down ~$49.9 million and 223 FTEs). With approximately 134.5 million private sector workers, this amounts to about $4.33 per worker<\/b>, and there is one OSHA employee for every 84,757 workers<\/b> \u2014 or, looking only at the 1,124 federal enforcement FTEs<\/b>, one inspector for every 119,663 workers<\/b>. Honestly, that\u2019s pitiful.<\/p>\n

Many standards are outdated. Penalties for fatalities and serious violations are too low. Millions of public sector workers lack OSHA protection. Child labor laws are under attack.<\/p>\n

So, what can we do? What can we bring to the effort in the months ahead to help working people stay safe and healthy?<\/p>\n

As citizens, residents, voters, and constituents, there\u2019s a lot we can do. Here are a few suggestions.<\/p>\n