Local 1 Michigan Member Testifies on Capitol Hill on Silica Safety
JOURNAL: ISSUE 2 - 2012
 Local 1 MI member and apprentice coordinator Tom Ward testifies before the Senate HELP Committee on silica exposure and the urgent need for more stringent safety standards on April 19th in Washington, D.C.
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Local 1 Michigan member and apprentice coordinator Tom Ward's quiet yet powerful account of his father's five-year struggle and premature death from silicosis at age 39 when Tom was just 13, added a powerful dimension to the tragic mosaic of countless U.S. workers who have died, been injured or become ill due to health or safety hazards on the jobsite, including exposure to silica dust.
Brother Ward's remarks came during his testimony before the full Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension's (HELP) hearing on April 19th on Capitol Hill called, "Time Takes Its Toll: Delays in OSHA Standard Setting and Its Impact on Worker Safety." His personal narrative helped underscore BAC's and the AFL-CIO's stance that now is the time to cast aside unconscionable bureaucratic delays that have prevented the rulemaking process for a stronger OSHA silica standard from moving forward (see previous Journal article, Issue 1, 2012, "Silica Rule Update"). Ward testified, "Working men and women don't have to die from exposure to silica. There are simple and cost-effective solutions to prevent exposure to silica dust on the job. Without a stronger standard in place including dust control provisions, however, there is nothing to compel employers to provide these simple and relatively inexpensive tools. We must act together now so our children and grandchildren are not victims."
Committee Chairman, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), responded to the often-expressed concerns of industry stakeholders that stricter OSHA regulations would kill jobs, saying "OSHA doesn't kill jobs; OSHA keeps jobs from killing workers."
For video of Brother's Ward testimony, go to http://bit.ly/M7Lzkl.