Safety 2009: Barab Urges Safety and Health Professionals to Speak Up

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Safety 2009: Barab Urges Safety and Health Professionals to Speak Up,

Get Involved

Jun 29, 2009 4:10 PM, by Walter

At ASSE 2009, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan

Barab outlined some of the key challenges OSHA is addressing and

prompted occupational safety and health professionals to take a more

aggressive role and let their voices be heard in safety and health

issues.

Barab told the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Safety 2009

attendees in San that he understands that they make safety a

reality in workplaces on a day-to-day basis.

“I know what you do, and the Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis knows what

you do,†Barab said. “We also came to the ASSE Safety 2009 conference

to tell you that you’re not alone. We have your back, and your fight

is our fight.â€

Barab stressed repeatedly throughout his presentation that safety and

health professionals should become more involved in the process.

Get Active

“First and foremost, we need strong standards to protect workers, but

we also need standards that make sense in the workplace,†Barab said.

“That’s where you come in. When we’re missing the mark, we want you to

tell us that as well. We’re in this fight together, and together we

can make workplaces safer.â€

Barab encouraged safety professionals to be more active in a few ways:

by speaking to their managers and CEOs to stress the importance of

safety; weighing in with their experience and authority when bills are

introduced in Congress; and being active as OSHA moves forward in

proposed rulemaking by submitting comments and sharing their

experience.

“We need to hear your voices – on either side – about what goes on in

your workplace,†he said. “We are committed to being very open, and

listening to everyone on this. Undoubtedly, we will make some

decisions you aren’t happy with, but such is life.â€

Full Speed Ahead

Barab stressed that he and Solis both believe in vigorous enforcement

of laws and are committed to taking a strong federal role. To

underscore that point, he said, OSHA:

* Is developing the Severe Violators Program to conduct extensive

examinations;

* Will address critical problems with construction fatalities and injuries;

* Will send a team of compliance officers across the state of

Texas and go to worksite that need immediate attention as part of the

new Texas construction safety initiative;

* Will announce new details on a National Emphasis Program (NEP)

for the chemical industry; and

* Work on an NEP to confront recordkeeping problems and

underreporting problems.

“Getting the OSHA regulatory process moving after 8 years also is not

going to be easy,†he said, likening it to putting wheels on a car

that’s been on blocks for 8 years and expecting to go tooling down the

freeway. “The good news is that we’re moving forward.â€

In the past few months, he added, OSHA has announced rulemaking on

combustible dust, introduced training grants and made some progress on

diacetyl, the globally harmonized system and the cranes and derricks

rule. In addition, OSHA has issued several new fact sheets and

informational documents in recent weeks to help prepare every

workplace for a pandemic flu epidemic.

VPP, Ergonomics

Barab touched on the recent GAO report that found oversight of OSHA’s

Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is lacking, saying that OSHA will

conduct a thorough review of VPP.

“We’re not limited to the VPP, nor are we saying the companies truly

excel do not deserve recognition – they do,†Barab said. But the days

of awarding companies VPP status to fill goals or create alliance as a

replacement for enforcement are over, he said.

Barab also addressed what he called the 60,000-pound elephant in the

room – ergonomics. He described ergonomics injuries as a huge safety

and health problem recognized by strong science, but also one that

stirs political debate. “We’re looking for a team that wants to move

beyond destructive politics,†Barab said. “People are getting hurt by

repetitive motion injuries … We can fix this, and we’d like you all to

join us.â€

Another major challenge, he said, is hiring more OSHA staff in a

timely fashion. Solis’s budget, which represents a 10 percent increase

for OSHA, will help bring 200 new OSHA employees on board. In addition

to hiring these new workers, the agency still awaits a permanent

administrator, which Barab predicts may not happen until the fall.

The New OSHA

During his presentation, Barab used the term “the new OSHA†and said

Solis has asked him to go “full speed ahead†with her agenda at the

Department of Labor.

“On this day, OSHA will have a voice, workers will have a voice,†he

said. “Unions and safety professionals like you will have a seat at

the table, because this administration understands you have a place.â€

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First, to ensure the " reality " of a " new " OSHA, the hands need to be " untied. "

If an OSHA representative doing a building inspection finds mold or other

" contaminants " they have to feel " individually " safe to report them.

It ain't gonna happen, otherwise.

OSHA has been a useless vehicle in my opinion, because of the " top down "

regulation and interference by politics and special interest groups. Useless.

And the standards should be equal as between private violators and public sector

violators. Private employers whom I have spoken with over the last 10 years

resent, and rightfully so, the " pass " that has been given to government

buildings.

If, anything they should be setting the example of higher standards for the

occupants. If OSHA can't live up the the original mission statement, then they

should be disbanded. They are running for cover because of the chicanery that

has taken place while people are on the payroll doing little to protect sick

building occupants.

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> http://ehstoday.com/standards/osha/barab-urges-safety-health-professionals-i

> nvolved-5550/

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> Safety 2009: Barab Urges Safety and Health Professionals to Speak Up,

> Get Involved

>

> Jun 29, 2009 4:10 PM, by Walter

>

>