WASHINGTON,
DC- Congressman Michael Michaud recently voted to uphold critical
workplace health and safety laws by opposing four bills- H.R. 739, H.R.
740, H.R. 741 and H.R. 742- that would roll back Occupational Safety
& Health Administration (OSHA) protections.

"Every day, fifteen workers are killed in America as a result of
occupational injuries, and another 12,000 are injured or made ill as a
result of workplace accidents or exposures," said Michaud. "Maintaining
workplace safety standards is crucial for protecting the welfare of
Maine workers- Congress should be strengthening workplace safety
standards, not weakening them."

The legislative package made unnecessary changes that would
complicate OSHA's review process including changes to the OSHA Review
Commission that would increase membership from three to five, would
give the Commission the ability to override the Secretary of Labor's
interpretation of safety standards, and would require that all members
be lawyers.

In addition, a legal loophole would have been created removing an
employer's obligation to meet the 15-day deadline for contesting an
OSHA citation or notice of failure to abate a hazard. Finally, OSHA
would be required to pay attorney's fees for companies with 100 or
fewer employees and a net worth under $7million in cases when OSHA does
not prevail, regardless of the merits of the case.