[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

  SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  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:

                              S. Res. 486

       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.

                          ____________________