Federal agency heads warn that the federal “sequester” may have deadly consequences in US workplaces.
The heads of twenty federal agencies separately issued letters to the Senate Appropriations Committee in response to the Committee’s request that they explain what would happen if President Obama and Congress failed to reach a budget deal, triggering an automatic sequestration. This would result in cutting budgets across the board for all federal agencies.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis warned that the sequester would result in fewer safety inspections from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), as well as the Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”). This could result in an increased risk of workplace wrongful deaths.
Solis maintains that OSHA would have to preserve its highest priority activities in the face of budget cuts, but insisted that the department would have 1,200 fewer programmed inspections, even in the most dangerous workplaces.
Solis also said that OSHA would adjust to meet 100% of its mandatory coal inspections, but would likely be unable to conduct all of its metal/nonmetal mine inspections.
This budget reduction could potentially lead to an increase in the wrongful death and personal injury rate among America’s workers.
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