This press release was led and written by The ALERT Project, a close partner of Government Accountability Project.
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Riki Ott, ALERT Project, 206-853-285, [email protected]
Labor and Health Advocates and Tribal Emergency Management Councils
Call for OSHA to Protect Oil Spill Workers
OSHA’s reporting standards keep symptoms of toxic exposure from being recorded
BERKELEY, CA (February 13, 2023) — Today, in an act of solidarity, labor, commercial fishermen, environmental health advocates, and the National Tribal Emergency Management Council and Northwest Tribal Emergency Management Council petitioned the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to change a key rule that would provide greater protection to oil spill response workers.
The rule change would require employers to record cold- and flu-like symptoms among workers during oil spills and to report the illnesses in real time to OSHA. In the case of oil spills, this has significant consequences. Oil spill exposures are associated with a characteristic set of initial symptoms that mimic cold- and flu-like symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment of symptoms of toxic exposure is critical to reduce or prevent chronic illnesses and cancers, studies have found.
OSHA requires accurate recording and reporting of any work-related illness or injury; however, in January 2001, the agency exempted the common cold and flu from its recordkeeping requirements. These symptoms are now known...
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