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Report Abuse Next Blog Create Blog Sign In Confined Space News and Commentary on Workplace Health & Safety, Labor and Politics Home Who Am I? Why Am I Here? E-Mail Me jbarab@starpower.net RSS Feed Thursday, February 02, 2006 PERMALINK Posted 8:25 PM by Jordan What's More Effective? OSHA Penalties or Suing the Bastards? In a perfect world, we would have strong workplace Quote of the Month safety standards and the penalties for violating those standards would be strong enough that safety would I have three pictures side by side in my house: John L. Lewis, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Jesus. I draw Social Security on account of FDR. I draw a pension on account of John L. Lewis, and I'm going to Heaven because of Jesus. rise significantly farther up the average company's list of priorities than where it generally rests now -somewhere in the basement. Now, for those of you who just landed here in a spaceship from Mars, we don't have that kind of system here in the U.S. When it comes to workplace safety, we Looking for Confined Space Safety Information? Click Here have government agencies (OSHA and MSHA)that are -- Jack McReynolds, 70, retired incapable of issuing any new safety or health miner, West Frankfort, KY standards, and even when it enforces the existing standards, the penalties are so low that they barely Political and Labor Blogs raise a pimple on the average corporate bottom line even when a worker is killed and even when the AFL-CIO Now employer knowingly sent him or her into an unsafe News From The AFL-CIO environment. Much of the continuing weakness of these agencies is a result of corporate/Republican campaigns Altercation By the Nation's Eric Alterman to weaken OSHA and MSHA with accusations of abusing small businesses, killing jobs, undermining capitalism Search Search Confined Web Space Blue Collar Blog and being unwilling to work cooperatively with the Firefighter, IAFF Member and CWA Staffer Sounds Off business community. Greatest Hits Chris Mooney But we also have another system in this country where The politics of science citizens can sue companies when corperate negligence Communicate or Die results in injuries, illnesses or deaths. Some of these American Labor Unions and the Internet lawsuits (called Torts, for you non-lawyers out there) BP Texas City Explosion Stories can result in pretty hefty fines. Because these cases Crooks and Liars Political hypocrisy n The small screen can result in meaningful penalties, corporate America/Republicans are mounting "Tort Reform" Daily Kos campaigns designed to weaken citizens' ability to win A must read for all political junkies meaningful awards. Workers usually can't even use the DMI Blog tort system because Workers Comp laws, with a few Politics, Policy and the American Dream exceptions, prohibit workers from suing their employer. Edwize The blog of New York's United Federation of No government oversight, no lawsuits and it's clear Teachers sailing. 2006 Mine Disaster Stories Popcorn Lung Stories Speech on Receiving the APHA Lorin Kerr Award by Jordan Barab, November 9, 2004 Effect Measure A forum for progressive public health discussion Just a few cases in point: Acts of God, Acts of Man," by Jordan Barab, Working USA FireDogLake A Group Political Blog -- Always Something Interesting GoozNews Who's Watching Now That The Cameras Have Left? Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch SHOCKED that there's corporate influence on public health policy? Impact Analysis A portal for your adventure in environmental health Liberal Oasis On a mission to reclaim the good name of liberals because America was founded on liberal beliefs of freedom and justice for all. MaxSpeak Economics deciphered by "Max" Sawicky Mine Safety Watch Health and Safety in the Mines Mother Jones On Top Of The News OSHA cites Quality Window Cleaning after its failure to train window washer Les James, resulting in his death after he fell less than an hour after he began work. Penalty: $2700 Lies, Partisanship Caused Ergo Standard to Crumble, by Jordan Barab, Safety + Health, February 2002 James's family, which somehow got around the Workers Comp law, sues Quality Window Cleaning Award: $7.2 million. A Week of Death, by Jordan Barab, Hazards, February 5, 2003 Archives March 2003 OSHA cites Unicco Services after faulty equipment April 2003 May 2003 and lack of training led to the death of window June 2003 washer Jose Camara. Penalty: $152,500 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 Jury decides against company whose scaffold fell December 2003 off Chicago's John Hancock Center in March 2002 January 2004 killing 4 people on the street below. February 2004 March 2004 Award:$77 million, $75 million of which will go to April 2004 the families of four people who were killed and to May 2004 June 2004 Nathan Newman others injured. Politics, economics and labor issues At his confirmation hearing earlier this week for head of Political Animal OSHA, Ed Foulke was asked by Senator Mike DeWine Keeping up on Washington Politics by veteran (R-OH) to describe his philosophy in approaching the blogger Kevin Drum leaderhip of OSHA. The Pump Handle A water cooler for the public health crowd rawblogXport Labor news Seeing the Forest ...for the trees: A Political Blog Foulke said his primary goal was to ensure all employers comply with safety standards. Then, he said, he wants to create an atmosphere in which employers automatically put health and safety first in all business planning and decisions. Sirotablog David Sirota's online magazine of political news & commentary for those who really can't get enough politics Stayin' Alive Discussion of public health and health care policy, from a public health perspective. When he visits a company, Foulke said, "and they talk about safety and health first in all their meetings, you know they get it. We need to get that mindset in all workplaces, [that] safety is a priority." Suburban Guerrilla OK, I'm a believer. But what's more likely to encourage Wit, wisdom and politics by a reformed a company -- or an entire industry -- to raise safety to journalist the top of the meeting agenda: OSHA penalties or law Talking Points suits? In-depth politics by Josh Marshall Tapped Related Story A group blog from the writers of theAmerican Prospect Run! The Sky Is Falling: Republican Tort "Reform" , January 11, 2005 Tom Tomorrow Politics and passion from the cartoonist Workers Comp Insider Good and fairly enlighted resource Working Immigrants The business of immigrant work: employment, compensation, legal protections, education, mobility, and public policy. Go To My Main Page Subscribe to Confined Space Working Life By a veteran labor and economics writer Jonathan Tasini The Yorkshire Ranter The scene from across the ocean Email: Browse Archives at groups.google.com You Are Worth More Labor issues in the retail trades Health and Safety Websites and Resources July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 Recent Posts Confirmation Hearings on MSHA and OSHA Heads New Multilingual Workplace Safety Resource Breaking News: W.Va. mines shut down after two mor... No Shame: Sago Mine Owner Appeals Ruling Allowing ... Post Office Shootings: What's Going On? Congress: Helping MSHA Do Its Job State Of The Union: What To Expect New Immigrant Worker Blog Canadian Miners Rescued; Why Can't It Happen Here?... OSHA: The Good, the Bad and the Red Herrings Hazards Magazine Search WWW Search Confined News Headlines Deceit and Denial Space Interesting eLCOSH (Electronic Library of Safety & Health) /div> Articles NY Times Workplace NYCOSH DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this Blog Safety Investigations COSH Network are my own and do not, in any way, shape or January 2003 McWane Series and December form, reflect or represent the views or policies of 2003 "When Workers Die" UCLA-Labor Occupational Safety and my employer. Links to or from other websites of Series by David Barstow Health Program (LOSH) individuals or organizations do not constitute an Interview with Peg A Job To Die For endorsement of these views. Seminario from the Multinational Monitor ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety Grist Magazine Home Archive Seattle PostIntelligencer Series on Asbestos Legacy in Libby, Montana Drum Major Institute For Public Policy International Right To Know Campaign Labor Occupational Health Program (UC Berkeley) Less Than Miraculous: The Near-Disaster at Quecreek Mine, by Charles McCollester, PA Center for the Study of Labor Relations Maquiladora Healthand Safety Support Network FINALIST Koufax Award OSHA Worker Page NIOSH Canadian Center for Occupational Safety and Health ACT Workcover (Australia) Health & Safety Executive (Britain) Worksafe British Columbia United Support & Memorial For Workplace Fatalities US Labor Against the War LaborNotes Labor Arts The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 The Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 Union Health and Safety Websites AFL-CIO United Electrical Workers (UE) AFSCME AFSCME DC 37 United Auto Workers Center to Protect Workers Rights Communications Workers (CWA) Laborers LabourStart ICEM OneStat For Best Single Issue Blog of 2003 and 2004