Scott Statement on the Rollback of Workplace Safety Protections
WASHINGTON – Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House voted 231-191 to pass H.J. Res 83, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution of Disapproval that would overturn an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule clarifying that employers have a continuing obligation to record injuries and illnesses.
“Some unscrupulous employers are already cooking the books by failing to record the most serious workplace injuries. H.J. Res. 83 will block OSHA’s enforcement efforts and create a safe harbor for those employers who deliberately underreport. Without complete and accurate records, patterns of injuries and serious hazards will be masked.
“OSHA simply does not have the resources to conduct enforcement within the six month time frame that would be required under this regulatory rollback. In fact, OSHA funding levels are so low that the average work site can anticipate being inspected only once every 140 years. This legislation will undermine OSHA’s enforcement efforts, and essentially remove any meaningful sanction for deliberately underreporting serious workplace injuries.”
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