Bill eliminates key safety protections following workplace injury, death
LANSING – Today the Michigan AFL-CIO strongly condemned new legislation introduced by Republican Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton) this month that would eliminate key safety protections for employees who are injured or killed on the job.
Senate Bill 213 weakens the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act by eliminating an important provision that requires employers to notify MIOSHA within eight hours of a workplace fatality, or any hospitalization of three or more employees suffering from a workplace-related accident, illness, or health hazard.
“This bill will make Michigan’s workplaces less safe, there’s no doubt about it,” said Karla Swift, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “Sen. Schuitmaker’s bill would give employers a free pass when their workers are killed or hurt on the job. It means an employer would never have to report a workplace-related death to MIOSHA, making it virtually impossible to hold them accountable for negligence or unsafe working conditions. The Michigan AFL-CIO is strongly urging the Senate Commerce Committee to reject this dangerous legislation.”
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