Robert Torricelli: “So many millions of Americans have only us between their work, the labor that they may love or do, a necessity to feed…”

“So many millions of Americans have only us between their work, the labor that they may love or do, a necessity to feed their families, and the inevitability of injury if we do not act. The Senator from Massachusetts has noted, indeed, the irony that 10 years ago it was Secretary of Labor Dole who, responding to reports of increased repetitive stress injuries in the workplace, responded by initiating the development of these standards. Secretary Dole called the issue "one of the Nation's most debilitating across-the-board worker safety and health issues." Good for her. She was right then, as we are right now. Opposition by industry and their allies in the Congress has at various times stopped, delayed, forced needless studies--anything--to stop the development of a standard designed only to protect the health and the safety of working Americans. During these delays, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued reports showing that the number of work-related ergonomic injuries was increasing.”