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Guest
11 years ago, a Missouri doctor discovered a troubling pattern at a microwave popcorn plant in the town of Jasper. After an additive was modified to produce a more buttery taste, nine workers came down with a rare, life-threatening disease that was ravaging their lungs.
Puzzled Missouri health authorities turned to two federal agencies in Washington. Scientists at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which investigates the causes of workplace health problems, moved quickly to examine patients, inspect factories and run tests.
Within months, they concluded that the workers became ill after exposure to diacetyl, a food-flavoring agent.
The top official at the agency told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing that it would prepare a safety bulletin and plan to inspect a few dozen of the thousands of food plants that use the additive.
That response reflects OSHA’s practices under the Bush administration, which vowed to limit new rules and roll back what it considered cumbersome regulations that imposed unnecessary costs on businesses and consumers.
Across Washington, political appointees — often former officials of the industries they now oversaw — eased regulations or weakened enforcement of rules on issues like driving hours for truckers, logging in forests and corporate mergers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/washington/25osha.html?pagewanted=all
Puzzled Missouri health authorities turned to two federal agencies in Washington. Scientists at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which investigates the causes of workplace health problems, moved quickly to examine patients, inspect factories and run tests.
Within months, they concluded that the workers became ill after exposure to diacetyl, a food-flavoring agent.
The top official at the agency told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing that it would prepare a safety bulletin and plan to inspect a few dozen of the thousands of food plants that use the additive.
That response reflects OSHA’s practices under the Bush administration, which vowed to limit new rules and roll back what it considered cumbersome regulations that imposed unnecessary costs on businesses and consumers.
Across Washington, political appointees — often former officials of the industries they now oversaw — eased regulations or weakened enforcement of rules on issues like driving hours for truckers, logging in forests and corporate mergers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/washington/25osha.html?pagewanted=all
