House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) today issued the following joint statement in response to the Department of Labor’s final silica rule:
Every day, men and women work on dangerous jobsites under conditions that can lead to a debilitating, and even deadly, disease. That’s why eradicating the threat of silicosis has been a national priority for more than 40 years. We have seen important progress in recent years, but there is more that can be done.
The department’s first priority should have been strong enforcement of existing standards, something it has been unwilling to do. Even the department admits an alarming number of jobsites have not complied with existing requirements, yet the agency has failed to hold them accountable. There is no reason to believe this new approach will be any different. As we have said before, the strongest health and safety rules won’t protect workers if the rules are not followed and enforced.
This new rule will impact countless workplaces across the country. There are a number of concerns with the rule that the committee will carefully review, including its feasibility, the cost to small businesses, and whether employers have enough time to implement it. We have an obligation to workers and employers to ensure responsible health and safety policies are in place and properly enforced.