Review identifies White House ‘interference’ with worker protections
Photo: hanusst/iStock/Thinkstock
Washington – The White House has delayed important safety proposals, and new investigations highlight the damaging effects of budget cuts for safety and health agencies, concludes an annual review conducted by two prominent public health bloggers.
Released on Labor Day, The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety outlines noteworthy occupational safety and health events from August 2013 to July 2014.
In addition to critiquing the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for “interference” in the development of new rules, the review documents:
- Turmoil at the Chemical Safety Board due to in-fighting and “leadership failures”
- Advancements in workplace safety protections by some State Plan states
- New research shedding light on workplace injury and health risks to Latinos and health care workers
The 60-page review also lists occupational safety and health measures anticipated in the year ahead, noting in particular the growing trend of municipalities and states taking proactive steps through paid sick leave and other measures.
The review was authored by Liz Borkowski and Celeste Monforton from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, both of whom write for the blog The Pump Handle.