August 17, 2009—In a comment to Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) communicated its support a Public Employee Only State Plan for Illinois. ASSE expressed hope that Illinois legislation would inspire other states to follow suit.
“On behalf of the 32,000 ASSE occupational safety, health and environmental professional members, including nearly 1,400 members in Illinois, ASSE supports both the State of Illinois for its intent to establish an Illinois Public Employee Only State Plan and OSHA for taking steps to see that this plan is approved so that Illinois and its political subdivisions begin protecting their workers in ways that meet federal safety and health standards,” ASSE President C. Christopher Patton, CSP, said.
“As an organization committed to protecting people, property, and the environment we are pleased to see the state of Illinois step up to the plate and work to make sure that all workers are provided with workplace safety protections.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) does not require occupational safety and health coverage of public sector workers in states that do not have federally approved occupational safety and health state plans, explains ASSE. Currently, 21 states and Puerto Rico have federally approved state plans under which employees of the state and its political subdivisions are required to cover public sector employees.
Three more states–Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, along with the Virgin Islands–have state plans that apply only to their public sector workers. Illinois would be the fourth such state. If the Illinois plan is approved, the public sector employees in 25 states and the District of Columbia will remain without federal-level occupational safety and health protections, adds ASSE.
Achieving occupational safety and health protections for all public sector workers has long been a goal of ASSE. ASSE says it has supported federal legislation to remove this loophole in the OSH Act, a provision included the Protecting America’s Workers Act now in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
For more information, see the ASSE Web site.
