{"id":5,"date":"2017-03-11T12:00:32","date_gmt":"2017-03-11T17:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/?p=5"},"modified":"2024-05-20T00:05:18","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T04:05:18","slug":"were-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/2017\/03\/11\/were-back\/","title":{"rendered":"We’re back…."},"content":{"rendered":"

Introducing Confined Space 2.0.<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

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I was hoping to wait a bit longer to start this up, but with crippling budget cuts being proposed, Bannon’s plans to deconstruct the administrative state (to be replaced by the corporate state), repeals of recently issued OSHA regulations and “regulatory reform” initiatives in the White House and Congress that would remove protections from \u00a0workers, I can’t wait any longer. \u00a0I haven’t quite figured out all of the technical aspects yet. (Things have changed over the last ten years.) So this may\u00a0be kind of like moving into a house that’s still being built around me — you’ll probably be seeing some changes in appearance over the next few weeks. Bear with me.<\/p>\n

When I started <\/a>the original Confined Space<\/a> in March 2003, I wrote:<\/p>\n

There are millions of people out there who go to work every day fearing that they won’t come home alive or healthy at the end of the day; or that they won’t live long enough to enjoy their retirement. Some are in unions, most aren’t. They all need to know that there are technical resources out there. And they all need to know that politics matters, voting matters — in national and local elections. It matters in big ways and small way, but it also matters in how safe their workplaces are going to be. It matters whether their children are going to grow up with unhealthy injured parents, or no parents at all. People need to understand that everything is connected. Tax cuts, growing deficits, appropriations, executive orders, regulatory “reform,” — it all affects our safety every day.<\/em><\/p>\n

In other words, how you vote determines to a great extent your chance of coming home alive and healthy at the end of the workday. \u00a0And, while we’re at it — how much you’ll be paid, what kind<\/em> of benefits you’ll get, what rights you have in the workplace and what your retirement will be like.<\/p>\n

When I wrapped it up<\/a> in February 2007, more than 15 workers were killed every day on the job in this country. The overwhelming majority of deaths, injuries and illnesses could have been easily prevented had the employers simply provided a safe workplace and complied with well-recognized OSHA standards or other safe work practices. Today the number of people we lose every day in the workplace is down to 13 workers per day — better, but still way too many, and almost all of those, and the millions of serious injuries — can be prevented.<\/p>\n

While OSHA has issued several major new standards and expanded workers rights over the past several years, resources have suffered. \u00a0In 2007, \u00a0federal OSHA could inspect every workplace in the country once every 133 years, today that number is once every 145 years. State plans have fared much worse. Ten years ago, state plan states could inspect each workplace once every 62 years. Today that figure is once every 97 years. The current level of federal and state OSHA inspectors provides one inspector for every 74,760 workers. 10 years ago that number was one inspector for every\u00a063,670 workers. \u00a0And the current administration is already threatening to slash the budget, and roll back regulatory protections and workers’ rights.<\/p>\n

The result will be more workers killed, more sick, more injured. We need to fight together for workers’ lives and I hope to provide here some of the information and tools necessary for that fight.<\/p>\n

Finally, I have a few favors to ask:<\/p>\n