Unions sue OSHA to implement safety rule - By Stephen Franklin, Chicago Tribune
The AFL-CIO and food workers union on Wednesday sued the federal agency in charge of workers' health and safety, saying it has failed to implement a rule that would require employers to buy protective equipment for their employees.
Such a rule would apply to as many as 20 million people who work in a number of places, including restaurants, hospitals, factories and construction sites, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in 1999.
That was the year the agency proposed that employers pick up the costs of their workers' protective equipment, saying 48,000 injuries and at least seven deaths could be avoided annually as a result of such action. The equipment would include goggles, face shields, gloves, helmets, ear plugs and respirators.