As President Donald Trump pushes to restart the economy, the federal agency that’s supposed to protect employees from workplace hazards has been operating with historically low staffing.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration had only 862 inspectors at the start of the year, the smallest number since 1975, according to a report by the pro-labor, nonprofit National Employment Law Project. The total was down from 952 in 2016 and a historic high of 1,469 in 1980.
“They cannot return people to work until they protect workers on the job, and they can’t protect workers on the job with voluntary guidelines,” the report’s author Deborah Berkowitz, who served as OSHA chief of staff under President Barack Obama, said in an interview.
The White House is urging businesses to open their doors in hopes of triggering a swift revival of the American economy, which has been largely shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. Kevin Hassett, an economic adviser to Trump, said in an interview on CNBC Monday that essential businesses had begun to operate without major flare-ups and it was likely safe for non-essential businesses to reopen as well…
To read entire article from Bloomberg, click https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-28/inspectors-hit-45-year-low-at-agency-key-to-reopening-workplaces
