Biden names workplace safety expert to COVID-19 task force
By Jenn Goodman
■ In a move heralded as a win for workplace safety , President-elect Joe Biden added a prominent workplace health expert to his Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board .
■ Dr . David Michaels is an epidemiologist and professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University School of Public Health in Washington , D . C . He served as assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health from 2009 to January 2017 , the longest serving administrator in OSHA ’ s history . Much of his research focuses on protecting the integrity of the science underpinning public health , safety and environmental protections , according to the announcement .
■ The appointment comes after the nonprofit National Safety Council urged Biden to include a workplace safety expert on the task force , saying that having a workplace safety voice at the table alongside medical and health professionals is critical to combating the coronavirus crisis .
In calling on Biden ’ s team to include a workplace safety professional , the NSC noted that the business community has not had a national pandemic roadmap , and said that “ employers have struggled because of it .” Analysis of states ’ actions to combat COVID-19 shows that only nine states have released comprehensive employer guidelines during the pandemic to help protect employees , the council added .
So far , four states — Virginia , Michigan , California and Oregon — have enacted emergency workplace standards in response to the pandemic , including
28 DITCHMEN • NOVEMBER 2020