249593 Connections Between TSCA and OSHA

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 8:50 AM

Charlotte Brody , Director of Chemicals, Public Health and Green Chemistry, BlueGreen Alliance, Washington, DC
  
The health of the environment and the health and safety of workers are tightly connected: The Deepwater Horizon disaster is a recent example of this bond: The environmental crisis created by 210 million gallons of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico began as an explosion on the BP oil drilling platform that killed 11 workers and injured 17.

There is also a political link between the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), the federal law that is supposed to protect worker safety and health and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the federal law that is supposed to protect against dangerous chemicals. Both of these laws were passed in the 1970s and haven't changed since then. Both of these laws are now seriously out of date and ineffective. The objective of this presentation will be to describe how these outdated laws are contributing to the increase in certain diseases and disorders. A second objective will be to demonstrate how a combination of shop floor, market, state and national activities are increasing the likelihood of chemical policy reform and suggesting new strategies for improving occupational safety and health.

Learning Areas:
Occupational health and safety
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe how outdated laws are contributing to the increase in certain diseases and disorders. 2. Demonstrate how a combination of shop floor, market, state and national activities are increasing the likelihood of chemical policy reform and suggesting new strategies for improving occupational safety and health.

Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Occupational Exposure

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a registered nurse with more than 25 years of experience in the links between the health of people and the environment. I have been the Coordinator of the Brown Lung Association, the Organizing Director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice,one of the founders and a former Executive Director of Health Care Without Harm, a founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the past Executive Director of Commonweal, the former Program Director of Green For All and the former Organizing Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Involving workers and communities in chemicals policy reforms
See more of: Occupational Health and Safety