David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social

Epidemiologist, author, longest serving OSHA head (2009-17) @gwpublichealth. Author: The Triumph of Doubt. Check out my writings at

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

Just arrived! Paperback edition of The Triumph of Doubt.

Published in 2/20 to rave reviews in Science, Nature & elsewhere. Then the pandemic hit & my focus shifted to preventing workplace COVID spread.

I'm returning now to Corporate #disinformation.
A 🧵with some reviews: 1/

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

@isaiah_bb No. Truly pathetic

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

But if the wishes of theese trade associations are fulfilled, high-road firms will be at a financial disadvantage competing with the low-road businesses who don’t care about the well-being of Americans.

It will be a race to the bottom, rather than to the top. 5/5

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

Is this what Trump voters hoped to get from the Trump Administration?
This is a wish list for unchecked exposure to toxic chemicals, more air pollution, dirty drinking water, contaminated food, unsafe workplaces, & fewer consumer protections. @susrust 1/2
https://t.co/BEba8yjiry

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

Smart regulations level the playing field for all businesses, and many corporations wisely support them.

If the Trump Administration surrenders to these trade associations, it will hurt high-road corporations that are trying to protect human health and the environment. 4/

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

One final note: while employers are required to record work injuries AND illnesses on #OSHA logs (the source of the data in these data sets), the reality is that most illnesses rarely get listed. So, the data are most productively used to research workplace injuries. 6/6

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

Exciting news for worker safety advocates and researchers: @OSHA_DOL has just posted detailed data about 900K workplace injuries occurring at 90K establishments with 100+ employees in 2023. There has never been a public data set on worker injuries of this size or detail. 1/

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

OSHA data sets are a rich resource for researchers eager to understand and prevent workplace injuries (but not illnesses - see below). Watch this space for my essay written with Gregory Wagner on why and how to use these data, soon to be published in the @AMJPublicHealth 5/

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

@GingerMundy @nytimes Unfortunately, the Montreal Protocol does not control production or use of "short-lived" chlorinated solvents like TCE & perc. OSHA standards are out of date and unprotective, so EPA's ban will protect workers, the public, and the stratosphere.
https://t.co/gU9Tdyh2Vl

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

Having separate laws & agencies to protect work (OSHA) and non-work (EPA) environments under-protects workers. The Toxic Substances Control Act finally changed that. EPA’s banning TCE & perc overcomes a weakness of OSHA and will save many workers’ lives.
https://t.co/lUga4EYcdj

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

Workers comp fraud by employers who do not purchase adequate or any insurance coverage is far more costly, hurting workers and making it more difficult for honest employers to compete with low-road ones. I wrote about this some years ago 2/2
https://t.co/ZTdmZ5czgY

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

Accusations that injured workers are engaging in workers compensation fraud is a tactic commonly used by insurance carriers and self-insured employers to discourage injured workers from filing injury compensation claims.

It backfires occasionally. 1/ https://t.co/UFTAU1FpiT

[Jordan Barab @jbarab]

Panic! It's almost Black Friday and you have no idea what to get the health and safety activists in you life. Well you lucked out. It's time for the 2024 Confined Space Holiday Book List. With previous years tacked on. Because books never get old. https://t.co/biN6Dj874l

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

Historically, state & local laws often required public health protections. Approached strategically, these laws can also influence national policies, esp. in environ & workplace health, since regulated businesses want consistency across jurisdictions.
https://t.co/vVZlB6SbZx

[Dr. Saskia Popescu @SaskiaPopescu]

Insightful thread via @drdavidmichaels

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

That’s all for now. I’m out of here shortly. You can find me at @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social 24/end

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

I ran OSHA 2009-2017, and am now often asked what will happen to #OSHA in the coming Trump administration. In this longish🧵, I try to summarize what happened during Trump I and begin to predict Trump II, recognizing that this one could be wildly different than the last one. 1/

[David Michaels @drdavidmichaels.bsky.social @drdavidmichaels]

For more insightful if disheartening thinking on what we might expect for #OSHA in Trump II, I highly recommend reading @jbarab: Jordan Barab’s Confined Space post on this topic. 23/
https://t.co/2YMIGsPTZM