Resources for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Death brings questions on OSHA's authority

www.al.com

The gruesome death of a Cintas Corp. employee in Oklahoma last year was a tragedy, everyone at a Wednesday congressional hearing agreed.

But there was no unanimity on whether federal safety overseers need to get tougher with far-flung employers such as Cintas, a leading uniform supplier that is contesting stiff fines for alleged safety violations at several facilities around the country, including its industrial laundry in Mobile.

"I think that purely negative reinforcement ultimately is ineffective," Ron Taylor, a Baltimore attorney who represents companies appealing safety violations, told the House labor subcommittee on workforce protections. "It creates a disincentive for employers who look for ways to go beyond the minimum."

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