April 28 - OSHA Goes Into Effect

On this day in labor history the year was 1971. That was the day the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect.

At the time, it was estimated that 14,000 workers died annually on the job, 2.2 million workers were permanently or temporarily disabled and half a million developed occupational diseases each year.

It was estimated that at least 25 million serious injuries and deaths went unreported each year.

Many of the standards, regulations and enforcements OSHA now has, have come as a result of intense, continuous pressure waged by the labor movement.

The Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW) was the first to test out the new bill when they filed a complaint against Allied Chemical in Moundsville, West Virginia in May 1971.

Among the many hazards at the facility, pools of mercury on the shop floor were common occurrences.

OSHA issued its first citation against Allied Chemical under the General Duty clause.

The first OSHA standard issued came a year later, for asbestos.

Today, the AFL-CIO notes that for the year 2015, 4,836 workers were killed on the job, there is one OSHA inspector for every 76,000 workers and on average it would take OSHA 145 years to inspect every workplace once.

But new rules protecting workers from silica dust and beryllium have been established, as have strong reporting and recordkeeping standards.

There are stricter coal dust standards and anti-retaliation protections for workplace whistleblowers. The Trump administration is looking to overturn all of it.

You can take action this Workers Memorial Day to protect working conditions on the job.

Find an event in your area by going to: https://aflcio.org/issues/workplace-health-and-safety