Chris Van Hollen: “last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration clarified employers' continuing duty to keep records of…”

“last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration clarified employers' continuing duty to keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses. Today the congressional majority is using the Congressional Review Act to both repeal this rule and prevent OSHA from doing anything similar. I support the rule and oppose the resolution to repeal it. In 1970, Congress found that workplace injuries and illnesses result in lost production, lost wages, medical expenses, and disability compensation payments. In response, Congress enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to ensure that employers provide workers with safe and healthful workplaces. To carry out the law, Congress directed the Secretary of Labor to issue regulations requiring employers to make and maintain accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses. In the legislative history of the law, the House Committee on Education and Labor found that State reporting requirements varied widely and concluded that Congress had an ``evident Federal responsibility'' to provide for ``accurate, uniform reporting standards.'' The report of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare found that ``full and accurate information is a fundamental precondition for meaningful administration of an occupational safety and health program.'' In 1971, OSHA issued its first recordkeeping regulations. OSHA revised these regulations in 2001 to make the recordkeeping system easier to use.…”