Reproduced from the Unclassi?ed Declassified Holdings of the National Archives FOR RELEASE NooN (EDT) August 6, 1969 Office of the White House Press Secretary THE WHITE HOUSE TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: Technological progress can be a mixed blessing. The same new method or new product which improves our lives can also be the source 0f unpleasantness and pain. For man's lively capacity to innovate is not always matched by his ability to understand his innovations fully, to use them pr0perly, or to protect himself against the unforeseen consequences of the changes he creates. The side effects of progress present special dangers in the work- places of our country. For the working man and woman, the by-products of change constitute an especially serious threat. Some efforts to protect the safety and health of the American worker have been made in the past both by private industry and by all levels of government. But new technologies have moved even faster to create newer dangers. We are asking our workers to perform far different tasks from those they performed five or fifteen or fifty years ago. It is only right that the protection we give them is also up-to-date. There has been much discussion in recent months about the quality of the environment in which Americans liVe. It is important to note in this regard that during their working years most American workers spend nearly a quarter of their time at their jobs. For them. the quality of the workplace is one of the most important of environmental questions. The protection of that quality is a critical matter for government attention. Few peOPle realize the extent of needless illness, needless injury, and needless death which results from unsafe or unhealthy working conditiODS. EVery now and then a major disaster -- in a factory or an office building or a mine will dramatize certain occupational hazards. But most such dangers are realized under less dramatic circumstances. Often, for example, a threat to good health will build up slowly over a period of many years. To such situations, the public gives very little attention. Yet the cumulative extent of such losses is great. Consider these facts. Every year in this country, some fourteen thousand deaths can be attributed to work?related injuries or illnesses. Because of accidents or diseases sustained on the job, some 250 million man?days of labor are lost annually. The most important consequence of these losses is the human tragedy which results when an employee often the head of a family -- is struck down. In addition, the economy loses millions of dollars in unrealized production and millions more must be used to pay workmen's compensation benefits and medical expenses. It is interesting to note that in the last five years, the number of man-days lost because of work?related injuries has been ten times the number lost because of strikes. more (OVER) Reproduced from the Unclassi?ed Declassified Holdings of the National Archives 2 What have we done about this problem? The record is haphazard and spotty. For many decades, governmental responsibility for safe workplaces has rested With the States. But the scope and effectiveness of State laws and State administration varies widely and discrepancies in the performances of State programs appear to be increasing. More- over, some States are fearful that stricter standards will place them at a disadvantage with other States. Many industries and businesses have made commendable progress in protecting worker health and safety on their own. Some, in fact, I have managed to reduce the frequency of accidents by as much aS 80 01' 90 percent, demonstrating what can be accomplished with the proper effort. But such voluntary successes are not yet sufficiently widespread. There are some other positive signs. Collective bargaining agree- ments often include safety and health provisions; many professional organi- zations have suggested voluntary standards: groups like the National Safety Council have worked to promote better working conditions. But the overall record is still uneven and unsettling. The Federal role in occupational safety and health has thus far been limited. A few specific industries have been made subject to special Federal laws and limited regulations have been applied to workers in companies who hold certain government contracts. In my mESSage to Congress last March on Coal Mine Safety, I outlined an important area in which further Specific Federal action'is imperative. But something broader is also needed, I believe. I am therefore recommending a new mechanism through which safety and health, standards for industry in general can be improved. The comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Act which the Secretary of Labor will soon transmit to the Congress will correct some of the important deficiencies of earlier approaches. It will go beyond the limited "accident" orientation of the past, giving greater attention to health considerations, which are often difficult to perceive and which have often been overlooked. It brill separate the function of setting safety and health standards from the function of enforcing them. Appropriate Procedures to guarantee due process of law and the right to appeal will be incorporated. The pr0posal will also provide a flexible mechanism which can react quickly to the new technologies of tomorrow. Under the suggested legislation, maximum use will be made of standards established through a voluntary consensus of industry, labor. and other experts. No standard will be set until the views of all interested parties have been heard. This proposal would also encourage stronger efforts at the State level, sharing enforcement responsibility with States which have adequate programs. Greater emphasis will also be given to research and education, for the effects of modern technologies on the physical well-being of workers are complex and poorly understood. The Public Health Service has done some important groundwork in the field of occupational health, but we still need much more information and understanding. Our Specific recommendations are as follows: 1. Safety and health standards will be set by a new National Occupa- tional Safety and Health Board. The five members of the Board will be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate to five-year terms; one member of the Board will change each year. At least three members of the Board must have technical competence in the field of occupational safety and health. more Reproduced from the Unclassified I Declassi?ed Holdings of the National Archives 3 The Board will have the power to pronu-ulg:te standards which have been established by nationally?recognized public or private standard?setting organizations. Thousands of these standards have been carefully worked out over the years; the 130:.er will adopt such a "national consensus standard? when the standard-setting organization possesses high technical competence and considers the views of all interested parties, in making its decisions. If the Secretary of Labor (in matters of safety) or the Secretary of Health: Education and Welfare (in matters of health) objects to any such ?national con- sensus standard, they may bring that objection before the Board. The Board can then set a new standard after giving the matter a full public hearing. When national consensus standards do not exist, the Board will have the Power to break new ground after full hearings. If the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare object to the Board's action, theY can delay its implementation until at least three of the Board members reconfirm their original decision. 2. The Secretary of Labor will have the initial role in enforcing the standards which the Board establishes. The Secretary will ask employers whom he believes to be in violation of the standards to comply with them voluntarily; if they fail to do so, he can bring a complaint before the Occupa- tional Safety and Health Board which will hold a full hearing on the matter. If the Board determines that a violation exists, it shall issue appropriate orders which the Secretary of Labor can then enforce through the Court system. In emergency situations, the Secretary can go directly to the courts and petition for temporary relief. 3. The State governments will be encouraged to submit plans for expanding and improving their own occupational safety and health programs. Federal grants will be available to pay up to 90 percent of the cost of de-? veloping such plans. When a State presents a plan which provides at least as much protection to the worker as the Federal plan, then the federal standard administration will give way to the State administration, with the Federal government assuming up to 50 percent of that State's costs. 4. The Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare will be given the specific assignment of developing and carrying out a broad program of study, experiment, demonstration, education, information, and technical assistance -- as further means of promoting better safety and health practices in the workplace. The Secretary will be required to submit a comprehensive report to the President and the Congress, including an evaluation of the program and further recommendations for its improvement. 5. A National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health will be established to advise the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in the administration of the Act. Three years ago, following its study of traffic and highway safety. the Congress noted that modern technology had brought with it new driving hazards, and, accordingly, it enacted the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Act and the Highway Safety Act. With the advent of a new workplace technol- ogy, we must now give similar attention to workplace safety and health. The legislation which this Administration is proposing can do much to improve the environment of the American worker. But it will take much more than new government efforts if we are to achieve our objectives. Employers and employees alike must be committed to the prevention of accident and disease and alert to every opportunity for promoting that end. Together the private and public sectors can do much that we cannot do separately. RICHARD NIXON THE WHITE HOUSE, August 6, 1969.