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Labor Group Faults Trump OSHA Limits On Posting Worker Fatality Data
Labor Group Faults Trump OSHA Limits On Posting Worker Fatality Data
September 18, 2017
The AFL-CIO is faulting OSHA's narrowing of criteria for publishing worker fatality online as the latest step by the Trump administration to hide information from the public, and countering OSHA's rationale for the decision, arguing failure to cite an employer does not preclude acknowledging a death and calling the removal an insult.
“Like many efforts to decrease transparency by this administration, these claims are unfounded, and the agency whose mission is to protect workers from health and safety hazards is clearly in denial that it has a job to do,” AFL-CIO says in a Sept. 15 blog post. “If we don't count the impact of the problem or admit there is a problem, it must not exist.”
Last month the Trump OSHA de-emphasized worker deaths on its website by narrowing criteria for publishing worker fatality data online and replacing a section of its homepage dedicated to worker fatalities with information on compliance assistance efforts. ... The move appears consistent with Labor Secretary Alex Acosta's promises to bolster the agency's compliance assistance efforts, following industry claims that the Obama OSHA took an enforcement-heavy approach.
In an Aug. 25 statement, an OSHA official said the agency will only list fatalities on its fatality inspection data website in cases where the agency issued a violation related to the incident. In addition to changing its worker fatalities page, OSHA removed an information box on worker fatalities from its homepage and replaced it with a box titled “OSHA Working With Employers” that highlights the agency's compliance assistance programs.
September 18, 2017
The AFL-CIO is faulting OSHA's narrowing of criteria for publishing worker fatality online as the latest step by the Trump administration to hide information from the public, and countering OSHA's rationale for the decision, arguing failure to cite an employer does not preclude acknowledging a death and calling the removal an insult.
“Like many efforts to decrease transparency by this administration, these claims are unfounded, and the agency whose mission is to protect workers from health and safety hazards is clearly in denial that it has a job to do,” AFL-CIO says in a Sept. 15 blog post. “If we don't count the impact of the problem or admit there is a problem, it must not exist.”
Last month the Trump OSHA de-emphasized worker deaths on its website by narrowing criteria for publishing worker fatality data online and replacing a section of its homepage dedicated to worker fatalities with information on compliance assistance efforts. ... The move appears consistent with Labor Secretary Alex Acosta's promises to bolster the agency's compliance assistance efforts, following industry claims that the Obama OSHA took an enforcement-heavy approach.
In an Aug. 25 statement, an OSHA official said the agency will only list fatalities on its fatality inspection data website in cases where the agency issued a violation related to the incident. In addition to changing its worker fatalities page, OSHA removed an information box on worker fatalities from its homepage and replaced it with a box titled “OSHA Working With Employers” that highlights the agency's compliance assistance programs.
OSHA's Claims About Hiding Information on Worker Deaths Fall Flat
Rebecca L. Reindel September 15, 2017
Since January, government agencies under the Donald Trump administration have taken steps to hide information from the public--information that was previously posted and information that the public has a right to know.
But a recent move is especially personal. Two weeks ago, the agency responsible for enforcing workplace safety and health—the Occupational Safety and Health Administration—removed the names of fallen workers from its home page and has stopped posting information about their deaths on its data page. In an attempt to justify this, the agency made two major claims discussed below. Like many efforts to decrease transparency by this administration, these claims are unfounded, and the agency whose mission is to protect workers from health and safety hazards is clearly in denial that it has a job to do. Here's how:
{snip}
Rebecca L. Reindel September 15, 2017
Since January, government agencies under the Donald Trump administration have taken steps to hide information from the public--information that was previously posted and information that the public has a right to know.
But a recent move is especially personal. Two weeks ago, the agency responsible for enforcing workplace safety and health—the Occupational Safety and Health Administration—removed the names of fallen workers from its home page and has stopped posting information about their deaths on its data page. In an attempt to justify this, the agency made two major claims discussed below. Like many efforts to decrease transparency by this administration, these claims are unfounded, and the agency whose mission is to protect workers from health and safety hazards is clearly in denial that it has a job to do. Here's how:
{snip}
