OSHA Envisions a Country where Safety Creates Jobs

The buzz about the creation of new American jobs often involves “sacrifice.”  But in the hustle to better the economy, some law-makers and advocates are making sure that workers’ safety is not sacrificed in order to quickly form new jobs.

Naturally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is among the most powerful voices urging that safety for workers be a top priority.

Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, recently spoke about this issue.  He also offers an outlook to job growth that recruiters may find new and interesting.

“The truth is that OSHA standards don’t kill jobs,” Michaels asserts.  “They stop jobs from killing workers. OSHA standards don’t just prevent worker injuries and illnesses. They also drive technological innovation, making industries more competitive.”

Along this reasoning, Michaels offers an example of how workplace safety might spur new jobs and innovation.

“The failure to issue sensible regulations endangers not only workers’ health and safety but also hurts American competitiveness. For example, because OSHA has a weak noise standard and weak enforcement, U.S. employers have no incentive to buy modern, quieter machines, which means that U.S. manufacturers don’t build them, and there are few jobs in the U.S. for engineers who could design them.  A recent study by the National Academy of Engineering concludes that European manufacturers are way ahead of us in designing and building modern, quieter machinery.  Today, when businesses anywhere in the world want to buy quieter equipment, they look not to the United States but to Europe.”

Will the legal system heed the advice of Michaels and enforce standards that will ensure workers’ safety as well as encourage the creation of new jobs?