Congress Begins Effort To Reform Occupational Safety & Health Act: House and Senate hold hearings on major reforms of OSHA with new emphasis on rules and enforcement

The Occupational Safety & Health Act has not had a major revision since it was first enacted in 1970. Following an unsuccessful attempt to rewrite the law in the previous Congress, both the House and the Senate are at it once again. Early indications are that a tough struggle lies ahead in both chambers. During Senate hearings before the full Committee on Labor & Human Resources, chairman Edward M. Kennedy (D.-Mass.), citing statistics on workplace injuries and illnesses, said: "We must redirect and redouble our efforts in the occupational safety and health areas toward preventing workplace injuries and illnesses before they occur, through cooperative efforts that involve both workers and managers. Every year, in plants and offices around the country, too many workers are paying with their lives and their health for the right to earn a living." A simultaneous hearing was held in the House by the Subcommittee on Labor Standards & Occupational ...