A Glance at Safety Bills Proposed, Passed in 2022
What steps are governments taking to protect workers?
- By Alex Saurman
- Dec 27, 2022
In the last year, politicians and governing bodies across the country have taken steps to better protect workers’ health and safety. Let’s take a look at just a few strides being made.
In March, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at protecting warehouse workers. Under the bill, HF2774, employers would be required to provide written notification of quotas to employees, provide access to employees’ work speed data and alter quotas to allow for mandated breaks, like meal, restroom and prayer breaks. An employer is also subject to inspection if incident rates are 30 percent higher than average, with actions outlined to lower the number. According to the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, as of mid-November, the bill was introduced to the Senate and referred to Labor and Industry Policy in March.
In September, Congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri introduced two bills focused on environmental and climate concerns for workers in the U.S. House of Representatives. There have been reports of employers requiring employees to come to work during a climate disaster. The Worker Safety in Climate Disasters Act would require employees needing time off due to a climate disaster to be given emergency paid time off and not be retaliated against. Employers would also need to track these disasters and update employees on any findings, according to a news release from Bush.
The Wind Safety Standard Act aims to protect employees when weather conditions include high winds (Under the bill, set at 40 miles per hour or more). Under the bill, OSHA would be required to devise a standard on high winds and employers requires to track winds and have emergency plans for these conditions.
Also in September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that effects those in the entertainment event industry. The new law requires “a contracting entity…to require an entertainment events vendor to certify for its employees and employees of its subcontractors that those individuals have complied with specified training, certification, and workforce requirements,” according to the legislative counsel’s digest.
Newsom also signed Senate Bill Number 1044 into law the same day, September 29. Under this law, employers are not allowed to retaliate against employees who are absent or who leave work because they “ha[ve] a reasonable belief that the workplace or worksite is unsafe” during emergency conditions, according to the legislative counsel’s digest.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.