Although the major regulatory agency is so widely demonized and feared by most American businesses, OSHA is a relative push over. It may be true that OSHA penalizes the bigger organizations with hefty fines, for instance, like the whopping $50 million that BP recently agreed to pay.
Unfortunately, not many know that the 40 year old law, under which this agency operates, usually limits its ability to threaten miscreants with stiff prison sentences. This age old law even, on many occasions, has prevented the agency from holding the company executives personally accountable for the dangerous conditions that go uncorrected.
Unlike the Environmental Protection Agency that has tough regulations and standards, such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act at its disposal, OSHA is merely just a paper tiger. In order to give this regulatory giant more ammunition, the Democrats in the Congress cleverly crafted an OSHA reform legislation that was folded several months ago into another bill, that is currently known as the Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010. This legislation, would bring OSHA in line with other regulatory agencies for criminal penalties.
A California Democrat, on Workforce Protections, recently said that, “It’s crucial that we bring the law into the 21st century.” But on the other hand, the executive director of labor law policy at the Chamber, Marc Freedman, said that, “The problem with this bill is that it’s very unbalanced.”
Unfortunately, not many know that the 40 year old law, under which this agency operates, usually limits its ability to threaten miscreants with stiff prison sentences. This age old law even, on many occasions, has prevented the agency from holding the company executives personally accountable for the dangerous conditions that go uncorrected.
Unlike the Environmental Protection Agency that has tough regulations and standards, such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act at its disposal, OSHA is merely just a paper tiger. In order to give this regulatory giant more ammunition, the Democrats in the Congress cleverly crafted an OSHA reform legislation that was folded several months ago into another bill, that is currently known as the Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010. This legislation, would bring OSHA in line with other regulatory agencies for criminal penalties.
A California Democrat, on Workforce Protections, recently said that, “It’s crucial that we bring the law into the 21st century.” But on the other hand, the executive director of labor law policy at the Chamber, Marc Freedman, said that, “The problem with this bill is that it’s very unbalanced.”
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