New Legislation Introduced to Ensure the Safety of Transportation Workers
Under the new legislation, coronavirus testing for transportation workers would be prioritized.
Last week, U.S. Senators introduced the Essential Transportation Employee Safety Act to address workplace safety for essential transportation workers.
Under the new legislation, coronavirus testing for transportation workers would be prioritized and employers will have to implement critical health and safety requirements to keep their workforce safe.
The bill work also expand on President Joe Biden’s recent executive order and codify a federal mask mandate on certain modes of transportation during the pandemic, including airplanes, trains and city and state public transportation.
“Frontline transportation workers must have safe working conditions amid the pandemic,” said Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “These workers are tirelessly serving our public on the roads, railways, and in the skies, and must have priority access to testing, personal protective equipment, and a safe workplace. This bill would also make wearing a mask on passenger transportation the law, protecting the traveling public and transportation workers during the pandemic and building on President Biden’s recent executive order.”
The Essential Transportation Employee Safety Act would require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to work the the CDC and FEMA to support the efforts of state and local governments to provide for priority testing of transportation workers. It would also implement personal protective equipment and disinfection and sanitization requirements for owners and operators of equipment or facilities used by certain transportation employers.
The full text of the legislation can be found here while the bill summary can be found here.