Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 1, 1992 TAG: 9201010189
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-7 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
VA. RANKS 12TH IN WORK-SAFETY LAWS
Virginia ranked 12th among states with the toughest laws dealing with
work-place safety, according to a new study that gave poor marks to the
federal government.
California ranked first and Arkansas last in preventing on-the-job hazards,
according to the National Safe Workplace Institute, a private, Chicago-based
group.
As many as 11,000 Americans die each year as a result of on-the-job
injuries, the study estimated. Another 70,000 die from diseases they
contracted in the work place, such as cancer or respiratory illness, it said.
"It really is an indictment . . . Looking at some of the states, it was so
feeble," said Joseph Kinney of Chicago, who founded the group in 1987 after
his brother was killed in a work-related accident.
The states were ranked according to a formula that considered such factors
as the generosity of their workers' compensation systems. Also considered was
whether states had laws requiring doctors to report occupational diseases or
limiting toxins used in manufacturing.
"These are simple things. Many of them are no-budget or very low budget,"
Kinney said.
In examining the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the
study questioned the government's priorities. It said the nation has six times
as many fish and game inspectors as it does job safety regulators.
OSHA director Gerard Scannell conceded that "enough hasn't been done" to
protect American workers. But rather than spending more money on enforcement,
he said, the government needs to find a way to make employers more responsible
for protecting their workers.
Comparing OSHA inspectors with fish and game officers is not a valid
comparison, Scannell said.
"There's no employer out there to protect the wildlife," he said. "We have
employers who should be doing the job of protecting workers."
Mark Cowan, a former OSHA official who is a corporate consultant on job
safety, said it was unfair to blame the states for not having tougher job
safety laws.
`The states have traditionally looked to Washington in those areas. That's
why [OSHA] is a federal law. To turn around and say that the states are doing
a lousy job is unfair," Cowan said.
Despite OSHA's faults, Kinney said, there has been a vast improvement since
the Reagan era. The agency has imposed heavier fines for violations and is
more responsive to worker complaints than before, he said.
"In general, the Bush administration, while stingy with spending, has made
some important improvements in its enforcement," the study said.
Nevertheless, the safety agency "reacts to problems rather than identifying
potential problems before they occur," the study concluded.
The institute's survey was based on a review of OSHA documents, some of
which were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Congress "continues to stall in providing OSHA with the tools necessary to
protect workers," the study said, referring to legislators' reluctance to
increase the criminal penalties for employers who violate job safety laws.
The government's financial commitment is questionable, too, the study
said.
The institute said about $545 million in federal funds was spent on OSHA
and related programs in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 - about one-fourth
of the $2.4 billion spent on agriculture research and services.