Edwards First to the Starting Gate on OSHA

While the FDA bans Ephedra (a bit late), the Agriculture Department bans meat from sick cows (also a bit overdue), and John Ashcroft bans himself (way late), Senator John Edwards (D-NC) has become the first presidential candidate to respond to the NY Times series on "Death in the Workplace."

According to the NY Times, Edwards "will announce a plan to decrease workplace deaths and injuries by strengthening laws and hiring more federal safety personnel."

Edwards will call for

the hiring of an advocate at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to increase prosecutions of companies that are found responsible for workplace deaths and require them to note those deaths in their annual reports. The advocate would also notify workers and their unions of pending criminal cases.

In addition,

Mr. Edwards said his plan would mandate certain safety measures in an effort to reduce the nearly two million ergonomic injuries each year and raise staffing levels at nursing homes to reduce the likelihood of injuries to workers.