The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) commemorated Workers’ Memorial Day yesterday in recognition of Americans who have died on the job. Many work-related fatalities can be prevented when employers introduce appropriate controls, comply with regulatory standards, and treat workplace safety and health programs as a priority, officials said.

In related actions aimed at protecting workers from harm:

• OSHA  launched a new Workers’ Memorial Page featuring a virtual Workers’ Memorial Wall.
• In response to an executive order, OSHA sent draft COVID-19 emergency temporary standards to the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review on April 26.
• An additional $100 million in funding has been allocated to OSHA through the American Rescue Plan of 2021. The agency plans to hire more than 160 critical personnel, including compliance safety and health officers, to respond to the pandemic.
• OSHA will allocate an additional $10 million in funds for Susan Harwood Training grants to support organizations that educate employees about contagious disease exposure risks and preventive measures.

Another DOL agency, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, is ramping up efforts to protect workers at thousands of mines by hiring dozens of inspectors and specialists to serve critical geographic areas. Increasing staff will enable the agency to direct  enforcement efforts to targeted safety and health hazards, and provide more compliance assistance for special emphasis programs, including coronavirus, officials said.