The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee’s Subcommittee on Workforce Protections on Tuesday, March 16.
Michaels shared the U.S. Department of Labor’s views on the Protecting America’s Workers Act (H.R. 2067), which aims to strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health Act to ensure the safety and health of all American workers. Michaels believes current OSHA penalties are not large enough to provide adequate incentives and are low compared to the penalties of other public health agencies.
“Clearly, OSHA can never put a price on a worker’s life. It is vital that OSHA be empowered to send a stronger message, especially when a life is needlessly lost,” said Michaels.
Michaels’ full testimony is available here.