Informing Workers About Hazards

by Stuart Shapiro

Oh my goodness, the Obama Administration has issued another regulation.  Surely now the economic recovery will halt in its tracks and other unmentionable bad things will happen.  What ever could they be doing now?

The Obama administration announced long-awaited regulations Tuesday to improve labels on hazardous chemicals and make them conform with international guidelines developed by the United Nations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimated that such labels could prevent more than 40 deaths and about 500 workplace injuries and illnesses from exposure to hazardous chemicals each year.

Assistant Labor Secretary David Michaels said labels will be easier to understand and less confusing, especially for low-literacy workers. About 43 million U.S. workers come in contact with hazardous materials on the job.

Hmmmm, sounds expensive.

OSHA officials said the latest rules would actually save companies more than $475 million annually in training costs and paperwork. Chemical manufacturers currently have to produce two sets of labels and records: one to satisfy U.S. standards and another to meet the U.N. guidelines.

OK, I’m sure we can find something to complain about in a standard that will save lives and not cost a fortune.  I know, it’s part of the Obama Administration’s plan to subvert us to a UN goverment.  Yeah, that’s the ticket.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.