In a recent post, Dr. David Michaels, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, and Joseph A. Main, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, commented on their commitment to worker safety. About a year ago, a tower worker named Chad Weller fell from a tower, and died as a result from his fall. On April 27, 2015, his mother joined Dr. Michaels and Mr. Maine, as well as their colleagues at Washington, as the Department of Labor renewed its commitment to workplace safety. The statistics are still high, because in 2013, 4585 workers were killed on the job. Before the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) passed in 1970, that number was more than three times higher, even though the workforce at that time was about half the size.
The only acceptable number for fatal work injuries is zero. Although fewer workers are killed on the job, to the people that know them, they are not numbers; they are their neighbors, mothers, fathers, friends, and co-workers, Often, their deaths are preventable. Workplace injuries and illnesses contribute to the pressing issue of income inequality, as they force working families out of the middle class and into poverty, and keep low-wage workers from ever getting out. That’s why on every April 28th, the commitment to worker safety is renewed by both the Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health and his colleagues, along with Joseph A. Main, Assistant Secretary of Labor Mine Safety and Health.
Every worker has a right to workplace safety. If you or someone you know is exposed to serious hazards, then you or that person has the right to request an OSHA inspection. Don’t hesitate, as you could save yourself or another person from being seriously injured or killed on the job.
