Title
WHEREAS, the majority of private sector workers in the United States are covered by health and safety regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA);and,
Body
WHEREAS, the number of workers killed on the job in the United States has declined from approximately 14,000 in 1970, when OSHA was created, to 4,674 in 2009, despite the fact that overall employment more than doubled during that period; and,
WHEREAS, local and state government employees, including those in the City of Pittsburgh, are generally not covered by OSHA, even though they perform similar job functions and are exposed to similar risks as private-sector employees; and,
WHEREAS, the Jake Schwab Worker's Safety Bill would extend protections similar to those provided for under OSHA to local and state government employees in Pennsylvania, at no or minimal cost to local governments; and,
WHEREAS, Jake Schwab had worked as a mechanic for the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority for 27 years when he was killed on the job by an exploding air bag; and,
WHEREAS, at the time of his death, Mr. Schwab was working on an unfamiliar bus from another agency, using tools that were inappropriate for the job because the proper tools were not available and there had been no safety training in his garage for over 9 years; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Schwab's death did not even warrant an OSHA investigation because he was a public employee; and,
WHEREAS, if Mr. Schwab had been covered by OSHA, health and safety regulations may have prevented his untimely death; and,
WHEREAS, preventable deaths like Mr. Schwab's are particularly tragic, especially for the loved ones they leave behind; and,
WHEREAS, the public servants who have dedicated their careers to this community deserve the same health and safety protections as their colleagues in the private sector; and,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh, urges the Pennsylvania General Assembly to supp...
Click here for full text