by Rebecca Walker — July 10, 2009—U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis had two messages for attendees at the American Society of Safety Engineers’ annual conference: We’re here to help companies provide safe workplaces, but we’ll also crack down on those who don’t.
“Make no mistake about it: The Department of Labor (DOL) is back in the enforcement b1usiness,” Solis told an audience of safety professionals in San Antonio, Texas, attending Safety 2009.
She acknowledges that in these difficult economic times it’s more difficult for safety professionals to sell employee safety and health to their companies. For that reason, Solis said the agency wants to work with more companies to help them provide safer workplaces so that mothers and fathers can return home, uninjured, to their children each day.
But the current recession isn’t stopping OSHA and its parent department, DOL, from stepping up enforcement.
Solis noted that OSHA’s 2010 budget request calls for 130 more inspectors. In comments to reporters after her speech, Solis said, “I’d like to have more [inspectors], but we’re not in that position.”
For more information on the conference, see the ASSE Web site.
