72% of Congressional offices violate OSHA regs
February 26, 2010 by Fred HosierPosted in: Electrical safety, In this week's e-newsletter, inspections, Latest News & Views, What do you think?
PDF Members of Congress should have some idea about how difficult it is to comply completely with OSHA standards: Only 28% of their offices do so.
Of the 541 Congressional offices, 154 (64 Senators, 90 House members) were found to be 100% in compliance with OSHA regulations, according to a report in The Hill.
Congress has improved the workplace safety of its offices since last year when only 37 (7%) were in total compliance.
The number of violations per office has fallen as well, from 8.15 last year to 1.75 this year.
Another change: The violations used to be more serious, such as blocked sprinkler heads, stacks of paper on heaters, blocked fire doors and electrical outlets with exposed live wires.
Now the infractions are more likely to be too many extension cords or blocked electrical outlets.
Why the improvements? The Hill reports part of the reason is that members of Congress want to be perceived favorably by voters in their districts.
“They also want to send a message to employers and employees in their states and districts that Congress will live by the laws that apply to employers in the private sector,” said Peter Eveleth with the Congressional Office of Compliance (OC).
The OC’s goal: All offices will have zero violations.
What’s your reaction to these statistics about workplace safety in Congressional offices? Let us know in the Comments Box below.
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February 26th, 2010 at 11:03 am
[...] link: 72% of Congressional offices violate OSHA regs | SafetyNewsAlert … Share and [...]
March 1st, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Of course, they’re a lot smarter than we are! Regulations are only for us dumb Americans. That’s why we elect them time after time after time…
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:10 am
No wonder they cant fix the country. They cant even fix there own office space.
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:24 am
The OC’s “goal” is to have 100% compliance? Why is that a goal and not a requirement? Were they cited and actually penalized for any of these violations? In manufacturing we certainly are.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:41 am
The article doesn’t mention whether or not the royalty in Congress were issues any fines. I’ll bet not.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Public employers, whether federal, state or local, aren’t covered by federal OSHA. Some states have their own safety agencies that do cover public workers. So, OSHA could not, by law, issue fines to the Congressional officees.
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:53 pm
This story is so contradictory it makes my blood boil. It is a total oxymoron to make safety laws for the American work force to obey except a government workplace? Makes me wonder how many more laws will be written that they will be excluded from.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Linda,
I couldn’t agree with you more.
From a recent copy of Safety Currents Express March 1, 2010:
“Speaking before the House Education and Labor Committee for the first time, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis reported how OSHA has helped the Department of Labor achieve its role in boosting the American economy.
Solis pointed out that side by side her department’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, OSHA has strengthened “efforts to be vigilant in protecting the rights and safety of workers.” With more funding, the agency has employed more enforcers to examine and boost our “regulatory efforts.”
OSHA, Solis says, will keep its stronger enforcement stance one of its priorities. So far, the agency has imposed severe fines to send the message that OSHA will not tolerate laxity of safety standards in the workplace”.
Wow. I wonder if she is also considering imposing severe fines on the congressional offices. Oh wait thats right. She can’t do that becasue they arent regulated.
March 9th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
1) Congress does not come under the OSHA Act - it is the legislative branch and there is separation of the 3 arms of govt involved,
2) Sometimes legislative branches pass laws and set up safety oversight offices that cover this lapse of coverage. I forget how Congress handles it, but they do have something in place that essentially applies safety standards to their workplaces (Fire safety in the Capitol is a major issue),
3) Federal executive branch departments may be cited under OSHA (29 CFR 1960), but are not issued monetary fines,
4) Feds do not have jurisdiction over state and local agencies because of separation of powers (the exemption being stated in the OSHA Act of 1970), but state plan states are given the option of applying coverage (Google for Florida and Daytona Beach fatalies or go to the CSB.gov website and see their animated video.
5) Etc., etc.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Do as we say not as we do…..typical. But they will be able to deliver excellent healthcare without any problem…..right.
March 20th, 2010 at 11:27 am
[...] 72% of Congressional offices violate OSHA regs [...]
June 8th, 2010 at 9:49 am
We have created a Royalty Class in America with our Leaders. They do not have to obey our OSHA laws, they have speical generous pensions and medical care. All this is paid for by the Taxpayer who are the low class group. In the meantime they have robbed from the Social Security Fund and can not seem to fix it?
Maybe if they had only social security and our medical plans like us low class taxpayers they could fix the system?But no we can not do that,,,afterall they are Royalty!