Democratic lawmakers decry Osha’s push to roll back worker respiratory protections
Summary
Democratic lawmakers urged the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to withdraw proposed changes that would reduce employers’ duties to provide respirators and medical evaluations for some workers. They and worker-safety groups say the changes could weaken protections from hazardous substances; OSHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Key Facts
- The letter to OSHA Assistant Secretary David Keeling was signed by Elizabeth Warren, Ilhan Omar and more than 20 other congressional Democrats.
- The proposed rules would reduce some employer requirements to provide respirators for work involving substances such as lead, asbestos, formaldehyde and inorganic arsenic.
- The proposal would also end a requirement for medical evaluations for employees who use certain respirators.
- The lawmakers said OSHA issued the proposed rules in July 2025 and held a procedural hearing in August.
- The letter cited an average of more than 5,000 U.S. deaths each year from work-related respiratory illnesses.
- Unions and safety and medical groups, including National Nurses United and the American Industrial Hygiene Association, have opposed the proposed changes.
- The article reported that OSHA inspections fell by 20% in 2025 and that the agency lost 223 full-time employees to buyouts and early retirements.
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