In catching up on blog reading this weekend, we find we missed an important piece of good news last week: via Liz Borkowski at The Pump Handle, we learn that longtime safety advocate and erstwhile safety blogger Jordan Barab has been named Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA and Acting Assistant Secretary. We couldn’t be more pleased and extend our heartfelt congratulations to Jordan on his appointment. Anyone familiar with his excellent work at Confined Space knows that Jordan has been a passionate and tireless advocate for worker safety. Thousands turned to his excellent blog for safety updates and education – we certainly were and still are among that number – if you haven’t got his site bookmarked, run don’t walk. Although he hasn’t updated since being appointed an advisor to the House of Representatives a few years ago, it remains one of the web’s most valuable safety resources. Unfortunately, so many of the serious and egregious safety issues that he blogged about are still open issues that need addressing, so he has his work cut out for him. .
Many of his blog readers may not be aware that worker safety has been a lifetime commitment for Jordan. To quote Borkowski:
“Of course, Jordan also lots of work experience not directly related to his blogging: He spent 16 years running AFSCME’s health and safety program; served as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for OSHA; was a recommendations specialist for the Chemical Safety Board; and then became a senior policy advisor to the House of Representatives’ Education and Labor Committee. (He mothballed Confined Space upon starting the Committee job.)”
We sincerely hope that “acting” will lead to a permanent appointment – we can’t think of anyone more deserving of the post!
Here are what some other bloggers are saying about the news:
Effect measure
OSHA Healthcare Advisor
AFL-CIO Now Blog
OSHA Underground
OSHA Aboveground
SafetyXChange
Safety news Alert
John Gelman
Tags: Jordan Barab, OSHA
