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The agency reported that an untrained production assistant was sent into a tank-like device
called a pressure vessel furnace to perform maintenance. The worker collapsed inside the
vessel. A second worker went after him and also lost consciousness. A third employee
blew air into the space that allowed them to breathe.
Known as the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces executive order, the new regulation is
meant to reward good actors and punish bad ones, encouraging employers to take the
high road if they want government money.
The Environmental Protection Agency should use the new authorities under the amended
Toxic Substances Control Act to protect workers and other at-risk groups, advocates say. Environmental health and union representatives urged the EPA to protect many potentially exposed and susceptible populations during meetings the EPA held Aug. 9 and 10 to
discuss rules it must develop under the amended chemicals law. Worker safety and
protection from exposure to industrial chemicals on the job received particular attention
at the meetings.
The goal is to protect hardworking men and women who rely upon respiratory
protection, such as N95 filtering facepiece respirators, to keep them safe with every
single use.
Investors and entrepreneurs are being encouraged to develop a technological
solution to hearing-related workplace noise hazards which costs businesses an
estimated $242 million annually in workers' compensation.
For more information on policy related topics, contact ISEA's Government Relations Director
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