Dia De Los Ninos: Celebrating Young Americans

DÍA DE LOS NINOS: CELEBRATING YOUNG AMERICANS

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I rise, on behalf of myself, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. OBAMA, and Mr. KENNEDY, to support a bipartisan resolution calling on the American people to observe North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, May 1 through May 7, 2005. This week is designed to increase the awareness and importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace. I introduced a similar resolution in May 2002, and I am proud to sponsor it again.

The focus of this year's North American Occupational Safety and Health Week is on the estimated 5,500 people killed in workplace accidents and the millions who suffer on-the-job injuries and illnesses each year. The week will focus on preventing such tragedies from occurring and draw attention to the positive return on investment for businesses that invest in occupational safety and health.

The Department of Labor recently gave the Monsanto research facility in Waterman, IL, its top safety classification: Star Certification in the Voluntary Protection Program. VPP is a program that goes beyond current workplace regulations to establish cooperative relationships between management and workers to implement a comprehensive health and safety system. It requires rigorous review by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and involves companies with injury rates which average about 53 percent lower than the average for their industry.

OSHA also recognized three Illinois beef packing companies for their exemplary injury and illness records. Aurora Packing Company, Inc., of North Aurora, New City Packing Company, Inc., of Aurora, and Prairie Packaging Company of Bridgeview were commended by OSHA's VPP. Aurora and New City have achieved Star Conditional status for 11 years now, and Prairie was recognized this year as a Merit Participant. Fewer than 1,000 Federal worksites under Federal jurisdiction share this honor and I am very proud of their accomplishments. The Labor Department says VPP sites are ``models for what employers and employees can accomplish by working cooperatively with one another and with OSHA to achieve a level of worker protection that goes beyond compliance with Government regulations.'' The VPP program is a win-win situation for everyone because workers experience fewer illnesses and injuries, and companies can expect lower workers' compensation costs. While there is more work to be done to improve the health and safety of America's workers, I congratulate these firms for their achievements.

The American Society of Safety Engineers, based in Des Plaines, IL, is a major proponent of North American Occupational Health and Safety Week and has sponsored this awareness week for many years. ASSE is the world's oldest and largest professional safety organization. It is a 90-year-old nonprofit association and has more than 30,000 members. It is committed to protecting people, property, and the environment. Together with OSHA, ASSE will be working to educate employees, employers and the public about the positive benefits of occupational safety and health programs; raise the awareness of the role and contribution of safety, health, and environmental professionals; and reduce workplace injuries and illness by increasing awareness and implementation of safety and health programs.

In addition to ASSE, the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers, the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the American National Standards Institute are all working toward the goal of a safer, healthier, working America and support this resolution.

In support of that goal, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan resolution.

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