Bob Schaffer: “Mr. Chairman, my first job out of college was in a salmon cannery in Alaska. The opportunities for injury associated…”

“Mr. Chairman, my first job out of college was in a salmon cannery in Alaska. The opportunities for injury associated with repetitive motions were ones our employers new an awful lot about and upon which they spent a lot of time ensuring safety came first. They understood it to be an economic issue, as well as one that, in the context of humane treatment of employees and compassion of workers, was an integral part of business. I have often said that standing boot deep in fish heads, gut, and entrails was probably the best training that I ever received for serving in Congress. But I also point out that OSHA's decision to move forward on regulations without benefit of thorough study is a classic example of the phrase often used in business 'ready, fire, aim.' Our goal here in proposing this bill's passage is to arrive at a set of goals, rules, and regulations that actually hit the mark, that actually are useful goals and regulations that actually can, with some confidence, be attributed to a safer workplace.”