BOSTON (WWLP) – Lawmakers are working to better protect workers on the job.
Both the House and Senate have approved bills that would extend Occupational Safety and Health Act protections to public sector employees. Lawmakers hope to soon get a final bill on the Governor Charlie Baker’s desk.
Each week, an average of 28 municipal workers suffer injuries serious enough to put them out of work for five or more days, according to the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents.
The House approved a bill Wednesday that would grant public employees protections under the federal act of 1970.
“I think whenever we stand up and say, there needs to be regulations and that there needs to be rules around how we ensure the safety of our workers, our public employees, that we take that,” State Representative Marjorie Decker, (D) Cambridge, told 22News.
The Act currently provides protections to private sector workers. A few years ago, the legislature granted OSHA protections to executive branch employees.
The move would help cover more than 400,000 public employees, according to Representative Paul Brodeur, and could save an estimated $200 million per year on sick leave and workers comp.
The House bill also calls for the governor to appoint an occupational health and safety hazard advisory board to evaluate injury data, recommend training and implementation of safety and health measures, and determine where additional resources need to go to protect workers.
“There’s a sense that, if you’re given the privilege to run a business, we believe that privilege, which often comes with a license, means that you’re going to take all the steps necessary to ensure everyone is safe,” said Rep. Decker.
The bill must get the governor’s signature before it can become law.
