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Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

OPA Press Release: Statement of Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman on Today's Court of Appeals Decision Regarding Osha's Cooperative Compliance Program [04/09/1999]

For more information call: 202-219-8211

"We are deeply disappointed in the Court's ruling today. While we are reviewing the decision, we will continue our outreach efforts aimed at helping high-hazard employers learn how they can improve workplace safety and health before an OSHA inspector arrives at their door.

"We continue to believe that the Cooperative Compliance Program would benefit employers, employees and taxpayers by enabling OSHA to focus our enforcement efforts on the most dangerous workplaces. More than 10,000 employers who signed up last year to participate in CCP believed it was beneficial to them.

"Today's ruling does not affect our program of targeting inspections to the most dangerous workplaces. We will continue to zero in on workplaces where high injury and illness rates show that people are being hurt." _________________________________________________________________

Background: Today the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against OSHA's Cooperative Compliance Program in a suit brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other organizations. The program, which OSHA viewed as an enforcement strategy and the Chamber saw as a regulation adopted without public comment, had been stayed by the Court since February 1998. _________________________________________________________________

U.S. Labor Department news releases are accessible on the Internet at: www.dol.gov The information in this news release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 219-7316.

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.