Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Public workers in Florida are expendable

I guess if you're a public worker in Fla. your screwed if you think the state is going to protect you in the work place.

CSB Declares Florida’s Failure to Adopt CSB Recommendation on Protecting Public Workers “Unacceptable;” Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso asks State to Reconsider Legislation
Washington, DC, July 18, 2011 – The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today announced it has declared Florida’s inaction and failure to adopt a CSB recommendation to provide federal-level workplace protections for state and municipal public workers an “Unacceptable Response.” It is the first time that a CSB recommendation issued to a state and its legislature has been closed due to an unacceptable response by the recipient. At the same time, CSB Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso called on the state to reconsider legislation that would provide adequate workplace protection for public employees.
The recommendation was originally issued by the CSB presidentially-appointed board in 2007 following an extensive investigation into a January 11, 2006, methanol fire and explosion at the Bethune Wastewater Treatment plant in Daytona Beach that killed two public employees and seriously injured a third.
Sparks from a welding torch used by Daytona Beach city workers above a tank of methanol ignited vapors that exploded. The CSB found that the if the city had implemented hot work and hazardous communication (HAZCOM) programs conforming to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety standards, “the hazards of using a torch in proximity to the methanol tank would likely have been identified and possibly prevented.” In Florida, OSHA safety and health protections apply to private employees, but not public employees, even though many such workers perform potentially hazardous work.

Typical republican thinking. Let the peons die on the job, we can always get some more.

3 comments:

Randal Graves said...

As long as folks continue fucking, there's always going to be a ready supply of shlubs to shovel into the maw of corporate & state, but I repeat myself.

Four Dinners said...

All workers are expendable if it protects management and shareholder bonuses.

If I learnt nothing else after years as a union rep it was that.

Now I'm my own boss I'm wondering whether I should consider myself expendable in order to ensure I receive my bonus.....er....more voddy please...I'm getting confused again..;-)

Ranch Chimp said...

Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh ... were all expendable Demeur until they need something from us. I was just vreading where Memphis School's may be closed indefinitely unless someone cough's up $55 million. The only folk's nto get what they need or any protection's, will be those who have more than they need basically.