[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 486 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 486

  Supporting the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day, honoring 
     workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace, and 
 recognizing the importance of strengthening worker health and safety 
                              protections.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 26, 2018

  Ms. Baldwin (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Warren, and Ms. Hassan) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
               on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day, honoring 
     workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace, and 
 recognizing the importance of strengthening worker health and safety 
                              protections.

Whereas 5,190 workers were killed due to workplace-related injuries in the 
        United States in 2016, and more than 2,700,000 workers across the world 
        die of workplace-related accidents and diseases each year;
Whereas, each day, an average of 14 workers are killed due to workplace-related 
        injuries in the United States;
Whereas, annually, there are more than 3,500,000 occupational injuries and 
        illnesses in the United States;
Whereas, in the industries of health care and social assistance in the United 
        States in 2016--

    (1) 585,000 incidents of nonfatal workplace-related injuries occurred; 
and

    (2) 70 percent of all nonfatal workplace-related assaults occurred;

Whereas tens of thousands of individuals in the United States with workplace-
        related injuries or illnesses have become permanently disabled;
Whereas the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (referred to in this 
        preamble as ``OSHA''), the primary Federal agency that establishes and 
        enforces workplace health and safety standards--

    (1) only has sufficient resources to inspect each establishment within 
the jurisdiction of OSHA once every 159 years; and

    (2) must receive the resources necessary to adequately protect the 
health and safety of workers in the United States;

Whereas the current Administration has--

    (1) blocked efforts by OSHA to adopt many protections for workers, 
including workers exposed to toxic chemicals, infectious diseases, violence 
in health care and social service settings, and the risk of industrial 
catastrophes caused by chemicals, explosive gases, or combustible dusts;

    (2) limited press releases from OSHA on enforcement actions that can 
act as a deterrent against safety violations by employers; and

    (3) removed the names of workers killed on the job from fatality 
reports issued by OSHA, despite the requests of family members of those 
workers to include the names of those workers to call attention to 
preventable workplace-related deaths; and

Whereas observing Workers' Memorial Day--

    (1) allows the people of the United States to honor and remember 
victims of workplace-related injuries and disease; and

    (2) reminds the people of the United States to strive for better safety 
and health protections for workers: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day 
        to honor and remember workers who have been killed or injured 
        in the workplace;
            (2) recognizes the importance of strengthening worker 
        health and safety standards to secure the safe workplaces 
        workers deserve, including enforceable standards to prevent 
        violence in health care and social service settings;
            (3) encourages the Occupational Safety and Health 
        Administration, employers, community and worker organizations, 
        professional associations, and academic institutions to support 
        activities increasing awareness of the importance of preventing 
        illness, injury, and death in the workplace; and
            (4) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
        Workers' Memorial Day with appropriate ceremonies and respect.
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