The AFL-CIO has issued its latest report on the state of safety and health protections for America’s workers, indicating a lot more needs to be done to protect workers from job injuries, illnesses, and deaths.
The report came out shortly before Workers Memorial Day on April 28, the day the Occupational Safety and Health Act took effect 53 years ago. The landmark law is credited with saving nearly 690,000 lives through safety regulations against dangerous chemicals and working conditions.
The AFL-CIO credited the Biden administration for several improvements in workplace safety with policies that protect communities and hold employers accountable for violating the law and putting workers in danger. The country must remain committed to workplace safety and prioritize preventing injury, illness, and death on the job. But a lot needs to be done, and Congress has a responsibility in making sure enforcement agencies are fully staffed to protect workers.
Here are some of the highlights of the AFL-CIO’s Death on the Job report:
AFGE Health and Safety Specialist Milly Rodriguez said we need employers to act when workers raise health and safety concerns and to be held accountable when they don’t. We also need increased funding for OSHA to do more enforcement and to develop protective standards.
“Workers and their union representatives become frustrated and discouraged when their OSHA complaints don’t result in an investigation because there aren’t enough inspectors to conduct on-site investigations,” she explained. “We need committed leadership to recommit to protecting workers from injuries, illnesses, and death.”
Read the full report here.
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