this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2024
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US lawmakers have written to the Department of Labor inquiring into reports some state safety agencies are tipping off employers before workplace inspections are conducted.

The letter from ranking Democratic members of the House committee on education and the workforce, the congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott and the congresswoman Dr Alma Adams, cites testimony from farm workers and advocates in California and a New York Times article on child labor where an employer in South Carolina admitted to ordering workers to clean up and prepare for an inspection after receiving a tip-off about an upcoming inspection from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha).

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[–] [email protected] 79 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

It happens regularly with the EPA too. Source is my friend who works there.

Yes, he has reported this practice multiple times. No, they don't care but at least they haven't retaliated against him.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I remember the EPA inspections when I worked in pest control. They were basically a joke.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 weeks ago

He said the EPA is a glorified tax collector with no real powers to enforce the law. Advance notice of such inspections mainly serves as a cost management measure, forgetting their main purpose which is of course to protect the environment.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

Also the health department, except not by the health department themselves. The managers in an area sometimes know each other and do food exchanges, and will text each other when the inspector does come because they usually do a few restaurants in a day

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

I think with health inspections and other sorts of audits. In multiple jobs now I've had to clean and help put up the facade it takes to pass one of these audits before the inspectors ever arrive on site.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 3 weeks ago

Take them out of office, screaming and scratching the doorways on their way out. Never allow them to pull their shit again

[–] [email protected] 22 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Is this.... regulatory capture? 🫱🦋

[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 weeks ago

Im surprised we even have inspectors. Feels like eveything became self reported.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

democrats are sounding the alarm that OSHA tips off employers? Anyone here work in an OSHA 'regulated' job? Are y'all surprised? cuz i saw it happen myself, and the old-heads told me it was a pretty standard practice.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Just because it's normal doesn't mean it's right or good.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

if it seemed that way its on me. I don't think its right, I am poking fun at the "Democrats" this article is mentioning who are 'sounding an alarm' about an issue their constituents have known and have been complaining about for decades

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Some historians think we only got FDR's New Deal because socialism was on the rise and liberals were scared there would be a socialist revolution. It wouldn't surprise me if liberals only get their shit together when they are scared that people are considering alternatives to our broken 2 party system.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Same. Happend in the factory I work in a few years ago... We were told the same, to clean up and wear protective gear.

Naturally they came during the most beautiful day too so they couldn't even see that we are quite literally a sweat shop. 75° dew point and 90° literally swimming in the air but OSHA happens to come on a beautiful 70° day...

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago

Profits are more important than the truth. You can't eat the truth, can you? Or use it to buy a holiday in Fiji.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

If I were to tip off one of my coworkers about an OSHA inspection I'd be slapped with fines and fired. Even if I see one on the job site I wouldn't even technically be allowed to point them out to the dude next to me. You know... If they were doing what they are supposed to be doing. I think the people that trained me on OSHA regulations took it more seriously than actual OSHA.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

I think the people who trained me on OSHA regulations took it more seriously than actual OSHA

Real. My training required 30hrs of OSHA and it was the same smorgasbord of bull you get from every "safety first" company out there. You learn how it should be done and then you go work daily and see how work is really done. All that safety paperwork stuff is encouraged to be pencil whipped to cover the company's ass, only used when something does go wrong to prove the employee was at fault and shift the blame to the employee for not following their official safety protocols. As you say OSHAs guys might say pop a guy or at least pull them aside for working unsafely so it looks like their doing something, but in my experience docking the jobsite itself just doesn't happen.

My experience is limited of course, but i feel like most of the safety construction workers enjoy is down to insurance companies and the fact companies who have a poor safety rating get blackballed from big projects

Outta curiosity did you do that big 500hr class to become a safety specialist?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

These are the kinds of quieter remnants of a trump admin... You can't heal all 1000 cuts, so you triage the gushing wounds you can see with the time/energy you have.

But when you let a fox in the hen house and they don't always slaughter all the hens immediately, sometimes kill a couple, but they loosen a bunch of fence boards so other foxes can steal hens for years to come.

Edit: a word

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Who keeps sheep in a hen house?