House committee asks DOL to address claims of safety inspection tipoffs

Congressional members are urging the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate allegations that some state safety agencies are tipping off employers before workplace safety inspections.

Lawmakers on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce wrote to Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su on Tuesday requesting that the department look into reports that Cal/OSHA, California’s state Occupational Safety and Health plan, provided employers with advanced notice of inspections.

“Multiple workers and advocates also spoke of what appeared to be a widespread belief that Cal/OSHA staff who act on worker complaints will warn employers when they’re coming for an inspection, allowing supervisors to correct or clean up worksites,” the letter states.

The Congress members were referencing a recent legislative hearing in California during which state lawmakers heard “multiple allegations” from farmworkers and their advocates that the state OSHA plan agency was giving a heads-up to companies.

The letter also mentions a recent report about a resurgence of child labor in South Carolina. The report mentioned a case in which a South Carolina employer admitted violating federal child labor rules and standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The lawmakers said the South Carolina account raises questions about the state’s compliance with state OSHA enforcement and the possibility of “federal funds being used to help employers evade detection for child labor trafficking and oppressive child labor violations,” the letter states.