OSHA withdraws proposed rules that were designed to protect workers' health and safety.

[Better Believe It]

Labor unions uneasy as OSHA withdraws proposed rules
By Kevin Bogardus
January 30, 2011

Labor is growing increasingly concerned as a number of proposed rules that were designed to protect workers' health and safety have been withdrawn by the Obama administration.

“All of these actions are coming because of the November elections and the fierce business opposition to anything,” said Peg Seminario, the AFL-CIO’s director of health and safety. “Just because the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups scream doesn't mean there is a legitimate reason to retreat. There are real negative impacts here that can harm workers.”

Business groups have cheered the moves by OSHA to withdraw the proposed rules. “We hope that these first two steps are a signal to the business community, and employers in general, that OSHA will ‘stop, look and listen,’” said Joe Trauger, vice president of human resources policy for the National Association of Manufacturers.

OSHA is not the only agency taking a step back on proposed regulations. For example, the Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn its guidelines for restaurants in labeling their menus with nutritional information, which stems from the new healthcare reform law.

Read the full article at:

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/141121-labor-uneasy-as-osha-withdraws-proposed-rules

[ThomCat]

1. More timidity from this administration.

Backing down on promises, again.

:wtf:

How many times does this administration get to screw labor for the benefit for corporate benefactors, and yet claim that we are still the party of labor?

And yet, when election season comes around, the hand comes out demanding donations and volunteers from all of us, and from every labor union, "because even if we do very little for you, who else is going to anything for you in Washington, the Republicans?"

:grr:

[RKP5637]

2. Always caving in. Caving in we can believe in! n/t

[Maine_Nurse]

3. To be fair...

OSHA has come up with some pretty stupid rules/regs in the past. Some that were more dangerous than what they were trying to fix. Not familiar with the specifics of these issues.

[Better Believe It]

6. So you have no opinion on or familiarity with these withdrawn rules. OK

[Maine_Nurse]

7. I was familiar with the MSD issue, not the hearing one. So I looked it up.

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=18909
"We have by no means completed our review of the issue and seek to make an informed decision that is in the best interest of protecting workers, yet sensitive to the operating changes businesses would need to make."

That seems pretty logical to me. And the MSD issue is pretty similar. They are both complex issues that also involve a worker's activities outside of the workplace. The MSD issue is very important to nurses, but I can tell you that over-regulation can be quite burdensome not only to small businesses or hospitals (which see a disproportionate share of MSD's), but also to the nurse trying to care for you when things go bad in a hurry.

These types of things do need extensive review before settling on a final regulation.

[goforit]

4. After what happened in Egypt, you would think Obama would be wiser

[SidDithers]

5. ...

Sid

[Omaha Steve]

8. K&R!