At Vote:Workplace Safety Act [Complete]

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New UN Resolution. Voting ends on Sunday, so get your votes in by Saturday. Remember, you MUST have your UN in TNP in order to vote. Feel free to simply argue if you don't.

Workplace Safety Act

A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.


Category: Human Rights


Strength: Significant


Proposed by: Yeldan UN Mission

Description: NOTING the absence of UN legislation guaranteeing the safety of employees while in the workplace;

RESOLVED to establish a common standard of workplace safety in all UN nations;

BELIEVING that employees have the right to safe working conditions while at the workplace and that employers have a responsibility to provide a healthy and safe work environment;

DEFINING, for the purposes of this resolution:
- person as one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, business trusts, legal representatives, or any organized group of persons
- an employee as an individual who performs certain tasks for another person in return for financial or other compensation
- a workplace as any site at which the tasks employees are engaged to perform are carried out
- an employer as a person or persons engaging employees to perform certain tasks, excluding the law enforcement and military bodies of UN member nations;

the United Nations hereby,

ENACTS the following:

(1)Each employer shall make every reasonable effort to furnish a place of employment which is free from hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm to his employees and inform employees as fully as possible of potential hazards.

(2)Workplaces must be maintained in such a condition that employees will not be exposed to excessive danger.

(3)Every employer must ensure that regular inspections are made of all workplaces and work methods and practices, at intervals that will prevent the development of unsafe working conditions.

(4)Employers shall, where applicable, inform employees of any Personal Protective Equipment required. The minimum standard of PPE is that which will prevent injury or harm to the employee considering all known or anticipated hazards within the specific workplace. All employees must provide or be provided with, and be required to use, the minimum standard of PPE. Employers shall also provide formal training in the use of PPE and in safe operational procedures for all employees, plus updates whenever significant new procedures are introduced.

(5)The employer must ensure that each tool, machine and piece of equipment in the workplace is capable of safely performing the functions for which it is used and operated.

(6)Employers shall ensure that each employee complies with all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this Act which are applicable to the employee's own actions and conduct.

(7)Employers must not knowingly permit employees to enter or remain at the workplace while the employee's ability to work safely is so notably impaired as to endanger the employee and/or anyone else, or diminish their ability to operate machinery safely.

(8)Employers shall ensure that employees do not engage in any inappropriate activity or behavior at a workplace that might create or constitute a hazard to themselves or to any other person.

(9)All UN member nations are encouraged to enact workplace safety legislation at the national level that would further expand on the concepts embodied within this act. Nothing in this legislation shall be taken as forcing or inducing nations to lower existing national standards of workplace safety.

(10)Each UN member nation shall ensure that within it there exist one or more adequately funded governmental bodies that can inspect work sites and ensure compliance with this act throughout its territory.

Co-Authored by UNOG
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This resolution is currently up for vote in the UN.

Please post your views and stance on this resolution below. Note, however, that you must have a UN nation in The North Pacific, or on active NPA duty, in order for the Delegate to count your vote.
 
I have already voted by TG, but wished to make the Republic of Teruchev's views known on this matter.

I like Yelda, in fact we are both members of the NSO, and he has been most gracious and supportive of my past efforts in the UN. That said, I cannot support his Workplace Safety Act, not because of philosophical disagreements, but rather because this is a matter left best to sub-national levels of government.

As firm believers in the federal system, we submit that the matter of workplace safety is not as universal as it may appear. To use a glib example, rail workers constructing rail lines in mountainous areas face greater risks and hazards than rail workers laying track over flat terrain.

Second, and more importantly, Occupational Health and Safety (OH & S) Acts are inherently bureaucratic monsters, consuming thousands of pages in regulations particular to each jurisdiction. While I would applaude efforts to streamline OH & S regulations across subnational and national jurisdictions, our government does not see this reflected in the resolution text.

As such, we are reluctantly opposed to this resolution.

Steve Perry, GCRC,
President.
 
teruchev:
I have already voted by TG, but wished to make the Republic of Teruchev's views known on this matter.

I like Yelda, in fact we are both members of the NSO, and he has been most gracious and supportive of my past efforts in the UN. That said, I cannot support his Workplace Safety Act, not because of philosophical disagreements, but rather because this is a matter left best to sub-national levels of government.

As firm believers in the federal system, we submit that the matter of workplace safety is not as universal as it may appear. To use a glib example, rail workers constructing rail lines in mountainous areas face greater risks and hazards than rail workers laying track over flat terrain.

Second, and more importantly, Occupational Health and Safety (OH & S) Acts are inherently bureaucratic monsters, consuming thousands of pages in regulations particular to each jurisdiction. While I would applaude efforts to streamline OH & S regulations across subnational and national jurisdictions, our government does not see this reflected in the resolution text.

As such, we are reluctantly opposed to this resolution.

Steve Perry, GCRC,
President.
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For the same reasons, The Great Empire of Yahooy2U votes AGAINST this resolution
 
Now are government jobs, particularly the military, considered immune from this resolution. Because creating a safe environment in the workplace (battlefield) can be difficult at times :P
 
teruchev:
As firm believers in the federal system, we submit that the matter of workplace safety is not as universal as it may appear. To use a glib example, rail workers constructing rail lines in mountainous areas face greater risks and hazards than rail workers laying track over flat terrain.

Second, and more importantly, Occupational Health and Safety (OH & S) Acts are inherently bureaucratic monsters, consuming thousands of pages in regulations particular to each jurisdiction. While I would applaude efforts to streamline OH & S regulations across subnational and national jurisdictions, our government does not see this reflected in the resolution text.

As such, we are reluctantly opposed to this resolution.

Steve Perry, GCRC,
President.
Click to expand...
The railworker example reflects something that I think is not big enough of an issue to vote down this proposition, which is the first of its kind to protect workers.

What I mean is -- if railworkers laying rail on flat ground need different kinds of protection, then this should be inherent in what the employers do to protect them. If the employers are not doing a good job, that is where the government must act. However, it is a little unbelievable to think that a given employer does not know exactly where the risks are -- even if he doesn't, his employees sure will. This act is a broad one designed to ensure rights; NOT to designed to tell employers what's safe and what isn't.

In the same vein, the fact that OHS legislation is "bureaucratic" is no reason to vote against it -- let's face it, sometimes you need bureaucracy. I shudder to think what would happen if the lab I work in did not have hazard training and guidelines.


FOR.
 
For reasons other than those stated above, the Republic of Teruchev has changed its vote to ABSTAIN on this matter on the floor of the UN. Our vote in TNP stands as AGAINST.

We still have reservations about the necessity of imposing this act at the international level, but in a TG message from the resolution's author some of our concerns were allayed, and thus we will neither support nor oppose this legislation with our vote in the UN.


Steve Perry, GCRC,
President.
 
Voting on this resolution has ended.

Thanks to those nations who cast their votes. Your participation is a great help to the region.

This topic has been locked and sent to the Archives for safekeeping. If you would like this topic to be re-opened for further discussion, please contact the UN Delegate, a Global Moderator, or an Administrator for assistance. Thank you.
 
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