For Immediate Release: Monday, March 3, 2008
Montgomery County Asks State for Help in Improving Worker Health and Safety
Councilmembers Ervin and Leventhal and County Executive
Request Stronger Partnership with State to Protect Workers
ROCKVILLE, Md., March 3, 2008—Montgomery County Councilmembers Valerie Ervin and George Leventhal have joined with County Executive Isiah Leggett to ask Maryland Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Thomas E. Perez to work with them to improve worker health and safety.
According to estimates compiled of Maryland workplace injury data and Montgomery County’s employment data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, there were nearly 15,000 nonfatal occupational injuries or illnesses in the County in 2005.
Montgomery County officials want to enhance workplace safety and work with representatives from Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH), which Secretary Perez oversees, to enhance its relationship with the County. MOSH is responsible for working to improve the safety and health of Maryland’s workers by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, outreach and education.
“All workers should be knowledgeable about issues affecting their health and safety,” said Councilmember Ervin. “Government officials need to ensure that we are doing all we can to increase awareness and protect workers from workplace hazards.”
The County Council’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee had a meeting on this issue in 2007. One of the proposals that emerged from the HHS discussion was to call for a formal partnership between the County and MOSH. From that partnership, it was hoped training would be provided to County employees who inspect certain types of facilities or construction sites so that they could identify workplace hazards and contact MOSH, which would then be dispatched to perform an inspection and take action.
“If County employees are better trained to recognize workplace hazards, we can prevent accidents and possibly save lives,” said Councilmember Leventhal, chair of the HHS Committee.
Depending on the focus of the training, County employees in the departments of Permitting Services, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, Housing and Community Affairs and Health and Human Services might be involved. An example of such a partnership would be the training provided to State Highway Administration employees, which gives MOSH more eyes and ears at worksites.
The County is interested in working with the state to develop an approach that could focus on training for individuals involved in construction, education, health care, public administration and social services because the data referenced above shows that these groups are significantly impacted.