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Watch a Replay of Dr. David Michaels on C-Span

David Michaels on C-Span

DOL Responds in the Gulf

News Releases

Joint Information Center

At the beginning of the event, the Coast Guard elevated the response and established a Regional Command Center and Joint Information Center in Robert, La., inviting all partners in the response to join. Get the latest updates from the partners on the ground in the Gulf Coast:

Protecting the Health, Safety and Rights of Response and Cleanup Workers

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is working with a number of other government agencies to ensure the safety and health of employees involved in the oil spill response and cleanup operations. Every day OSHA staff is in the field and on the boats to ensure that workers are protected from safety and health hazards. OSHA is ensuring that workers are provided proper training and protective equipment. OSHA is also conducting independent air monitoring to make sure workers are not exposed to dangerous levels of hazardous chemicals. These data are posted and frequently updated on our website, which also contains additional information on worker health. For more, visit http://www.osha.gov/oilspills/

The Wage and Hour Division has issued information to ensure that workers participating in the response and clean-up of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are paid properly for the work they perform. For general information on how to file a complaint, see http://www.dol.gov/wecanhelp/howtofilecomplaint.htm

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) operates a number of Career One-Stop centers in the area, and is helping to facilitate retraining and re-employment assistance to help workers along the Gulf Coast who have been displaced, to find new work opportunities. To find the center in your area, visit http://careeronestop.org/ or visit the Career One-Stop Deepwater Response page at http://www.careeronestop.org/dhr/.

DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) wants to make sure that federal contractors in the Gulf Coast are not discriminating against workers because of their sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability or status as a protected veteran. While not every employer in the Gulf Coast that is working on projects resulting from the oil spill is covered by OFCCP’s jurisdiction, many — especially many of the larger employers — are subject to our rules. OFFCP has issued fact sheets in multiple languages to inform workers about their rights and how to seek additional assistance.

Fact Sheets: How OFCCP Can Help Workers

Secretary Solis Visits the Gulf Oil Spill