Of Foxes, Chickens and Chickencoops- February 7, 2007 In the continuing spirit of bi-partisanship, President Bush has renominated some of the worst of the worst nominees to head safety, environmental and regulatory agencies.Former coal industry executive Richard Stickler was renominated for the -- hell, I can't even remember how many times the White House has sent him to the Senate (only to have him sent back again.) Stickler received a recess appointement last Fall.Along with Stickler came the return of former Wal-Mart lawyer Paul DeCamp as wage..http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/of-foxes-chickens-and-chickencoops.html Chilling Reading- February 6, 2007 Julie Ferguson at Workers Comp Insider has a very nice piece on our Weekly Toll: Every other week, our blog neighbor Tammy at Confined Space compiles a list of news stories about workers who have lost their lives at work. We've linked to it before. Despite its length, it's only a partial list at best- whatever manages to turn up in the search engines. The roster makes for some chilling reading. No matter how many times I've read these lists before, I am almost always jarred to see how many...http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/chilling-reading.html Goodbye: The Final Curtain Comes Down- February 6, 2007 As I mentioned last night, this will be my last Confined Space post. Next week I start work at the House Education and Labor Committee. If you're on line now (9:00 - 11:00 pm EST), welcome. Please use the comments all the way down at the bottom of this post (below the last song) and "refresh" occasionally to keep up to date. (Of course, some people decided to start the party early. Check out the comments under last night's post.)Over the past four years, Ive written more than 2,800 posts here...http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/goodbye-final-curtain-comes-down.html Moving On: Closing Up Shop- February 6, 2007 This is incredibly hard for me, but tomorrow night will be my last blog post on Confined Space. After much deliberation, Ive decided to take a new job that makes it impossible to continue.Starting next week, Ill be heading to the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, working on OSHA-related legislation, oversight hearings, investigations, etc. In other words, instead of just writing about what Congress and this administration needs to be doing to protect workers, Ill...http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/moving-on-closing-up-shop.html What's In A Name (Part II)- February 6, 2007 William Safire in the NY Times Magazine last Sunday has more to say about the name change at my future employer, the House Education and Labor Committee: Who says the 110th House of Representatives, with Democrats in the majority, will be no different from the G.O.P.-dominated 109th The names, they are a-changin: the word Labor is back, with a capital L. In 1995, when the Republicans took over after 40 years 14,610 interminable days in the minority wilderness, they changed the name of the...http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/whats-in-name-part-ii.html Change Is In The Air; And In The House- February 6, 2007 Yes, it's true, the House of Representatives is doing some real things for the American worker, like passing a minimum wage bill. But real accomplishments are so boring. In these heady days, now the the Dems are back in control, it's the symbolic changes that most stir the spirit.For example, when the Republicans took power in 1995, they changed the name of the House "Committee on Education and Labor" to"Workforce" Ugh! Can you get any more sterile and bureacraticBut now a new day has...http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/change-is-in-air-and-in-house.html Throwaway Truckers- February 6, 2007 Chicago Tribune reporters Steve Franklin and Darnell Little have continued their series on Throwaway Workers with two more articles about trucking and truckers.Most of the goods that our society buys from overseas comes in through the nation's ports, and then is transported -- mostly by trucks to warehouses and then around the country. Last month, Franklin and Little told the story of a long haul driver and difficult it is for them to make ends meet.Franklin and Little now go on to tell the...http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/throwaway-truckers.html Where Do They Find These Guys- February 6, 2007 Curiouser and curiouser: The senior Pentagon official in charge of military detainees suspected of terrorism said in an interview this week that he was dismayed that lawyers at many of the nations top firms were representing prisoners at Guantnamo Bay, Cuba, and that the firms corporate clients should consider ending their business ties. The comments by Charles D. Stimson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs, produced an instant torrent of anger from lawyers,...http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/where-do-they-find-these-guys.html Maryland County Moves On Workplace Safety- February 6, 2007 One of the major problems with ensuring the ssafety of workers in the country is the lack of staffing and resources that federal OSHA or OSHA state aplans have to enforce the law. The AFL-CIO calculates that at its current staffing and inspection levels, it would take federal OSHA 117 years to inspect each workplace under its jurisdiction just once.But Montgomery County, Maryland seems to be strongly considering launching a new initiative that could effectively leverage Maryland OSHA's limited..http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/maryland-county-moves-on-workplace.html Baker Panel Report Blasts BP- February 6, 2007 The Baker Panel, investigating the "safety culture" at BP's five North American refineries, issued its 374 page report today blasting the giant oil company for putting production targets, operational goals and budgets ahead of workplace safety.The report's origin was an urgent safety recommendation issued by the Chemical Safety Board which is conducting an extensive investigation of the March 23, 2005 Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 workers and injured 180. It was the biggest...http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/2007/01/baker-panel-report-blasts-bp.html |