03.29.24

Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Ensuring Workers Have a Voice on the Job

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Biden Administration issued a final rule to strengthen employees’ voice in ensuring the health and safety of their workplace.

“The most basic right for American workers is to return home safely at end of their shift. Regrettably, workers continue to be injured, made ill, or killed on the job due to preventable workplace hazards or employer negligence. And when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducts workplace inspections, many workers are too afraid of retaliation from their employers to share the health and safety hazards to which they are exposed.  

“The OSHA walkaround rule, issued today, will empower even the most vulnerable workers to voice their concerns in OSHA inspections. Specifically, today’s rule clarifies that even non-unionized workers may authorize a trusted third party, such as a health and safety expert, to join an OSHA ‘walkaround’ inspection.

"Workers should not have to choose between job security and their safety. Moving forward, Congress must continue to support the Biden-Harris Administration in ensuring safe workplaces for Americans, including establishing enforceable workplace safety standards for heat stress and providing OSHA with the resources it needs to protect children from illegal working conditions.” 

In November 2023, Ranking Members Scott and Alma Adams (NC-12) sent a letter to the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in support of the proposed walkaround rule. 

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