Citizen Health & Safety / Workplace Safety
Why Non-Defense Discretionary Spending Keeps Getting Cut
May 23, 2013 by Nick Schwellenbach
The biggest difference among the three budget plans that official Washington is currently considering is spending for non-defense discretionary programs, which includes education, infrastructure, food safety, environmental protection and other essential public investments the public says it wants government to continue to make. A chart created by the Congressional Budget Office – shows the differences between President Obama and Senate Democrats’ budget plans versus the House Republican spending blueprint.
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UPDATED: Three Reasons the REINS Act Must Be Stopped (Again)
May 22, 2013 by Katie Greenhaw
If passed, the REINS Act would require congressional approval of all major rules, potentially endangering the most important safeguards to our health, safety, environment, and economy.
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A Big Job, on a Tiny Budget
Apr 29, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
The biggest problem illustrated by the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Tex., is not that OSHA is focusing on the wrong threats, but that its hands are tied and that it does not have the resources or the support to ensure that our nation’s workplaces are safe. The explosion at the West Fertilizer Company illustrates why Congress should act swiftly to strengthen our main workplace safety law so OSHA has the authority and the resources to protect workers.
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Honoring Workers with Stronger Standards and Safeguards
Apr 24, 2013
April 28 marked Workers’ Memorial Day, a day to remember and honor those who have died on the job. Workers’ Memorial Day also serves as a reminder of how much progress has been made in protecting Americans at work since the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) and how much work remains to ensure all Americans are safe at work.
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OMB, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hold Forum on Trade Agreements and Regulations
Apr 23, 2013
On April 10, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) co-hosted a two-day stakeholder session with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as part of its annual High Level Regulatory Cooperation Forum. The forum provides an opportunity for members of the business community to tell American and European officials how they would like the standards and safeguards that regulate their activities to be "harmonized." For the business community, "harmonization" is generally viewed as an opportunity to move to the lowest standards, or in the language of free trade, to remove or reduce "trade irritants." The exchange at the forum was between business and government; few public interest representatives were allowed to participate.
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We Need Protection from Industrial Hazards in Our Communities
Apr 19, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
On Wednesday, a fire at the West Fertilizer Co. in West, TX, caused an explosion so powerful it registered 2.1 on the Richter scale and leveled significant parts of this rural community. As many as 15 people died and around 200 were injured, many gravely. We still do not know what caused the explosion or whether it could have been prevented with better safety practices and regulatory oversight.
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President Obama’s Budget Proposal Assumes Flawed Poultry Inspection Rule Will Be Finalized
Apr 11, 2013 by Katie Greenhaw
Yesterday, the president released the proposed budget for funding the federal government in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. The budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) assumes savings from finalizing a controversial proposed rule to change the way chickens and other poultry are inspected in processing plants.
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Protections for Miners Long Overdue
Apr 5, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
Three years ago, 29 miners were killed in the infamous Upper Big Branch mine explosion in West Virginia. Regrettably, there have been few substantial changes to prevent future mining tragedies since then. In fact, eight other miners were killed on the job just this year.
Efforts to better protect miners with new legislation have been repeatedly blocked. Last month, the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act was introduced for the third time.
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Sunstein’s “Simpler Government” Is Legally Suspect, Overly Secretive And Politically Unaccountable
Apr 4, 2013 by Guest Blogger
By Lisa Heinzerling
Originally posted on Think Progress
In his new book, “Simpler: The Future of Government,” Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein writes about his nearly four years as President Barack Obama’s “regulatory czar.” As the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (known as “OIRA”) within the Office of Management and Budget, Sunstein oversaw the regulatory output of the many agencies of the executive branch. Rules on worker health, environmental protection, food safety, health care, consumer protection, and more all passed through Sunstein’s inbox.
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Long-Term Chemical Hazards Pose Significant Challenges for Workplace Safety Agency
Apr 2, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
The New York Times published a front-page story over the weekend focusing on the problems the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) faces in trying to protect workers from latent hazards posed by chemical exposures at work.
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