Online Program

318156
Assault on worker safety protections: Dangerous bedfellows in Congress, the White House and trade associations


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.

Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, San Marcos, TX
In the first few weeks of the 114th Congress, dozens of bills were introduced to address the alleged problem of over-regulation of healthcare, the environment, consumer goods and workplaces. [The abstract submission deadline is too early for me to analyze the bills and present more specific information about them in this abstract.)  Such measures have been introduced in previous years, but their chances for success were heightened by the make-up of the new Congress (in office January 2015 through December 2016.) Proponents of these bills use oft-repeated rhetoric about regulations “killing jobs” and “unaccountable bureaucrats” imposing unnecessary mandates.  Intentionally absent is any information on the benefits to public health of regulations that address safety hazards, toxic chemicals, and other factors that cause death, injury, illness and disability. This presentation will examine the potential impact of “regulatory reform” proposals on occupational safety and health protections. It will describe the key players promoting these bills, the status of the legislation, and the White House’s response to the measures. The type and content of counter measures by public health allies will be discussed.

Learning Areas:

Occupational health and safety
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe at least two current examples of worker safety regulations threatened by anti-regulatory forces; List at least two key players in the attacks on worker safety regulations; and Name at least one initiative launched by the public health community and allies to defend against anti-regulatory action by the bedfellows.

Keyword(s): Public Health Policy, Occupational Health and Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have researched and written for 20 years on occupational health and safety policy and regulatory policy. I prepared the research that will be presented in this presentation.
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.