OSHA Reconsiders Worker Safety as Industry Funds Flow
The Hill reports OSHA's silica dust rule faces 'reconsideration,' framed as a standard regulatory review. What they gloss over is the predictable pattern: industries regularly lobby against regulations that protect workers but impact their bottom line. The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA), for example, spent $333,485 on lobbying in 2023, according to OpenSecrets.org,
consistently pushing back against stricter health standards. This 'reconsideration' often follows a finely paved road of PAC donations and industry pressure, making 'worker safety' a negotiable term. We saw this with coal dust, asbestos, and now silica—each time, the 'cost burden' on corporations somehow outweighs the human cost of black lung, mesothelioma, and silicosis. It's a miracle how
frequently profits align perfectly with ignoring preventable diseases. One might wonder: how many lung tissue samples does it take to make a rule permanent?