Michaels: U.S., EU must work together on safety

The United States and European Union need to learn from one another to improve workplace safety, OSHA administrator David Michaels said during the Sept. 22 Sixth EU-US Joint Conference on Health and Safety at Work in Boston.

At the annual conference, Michaels said a united front between the United States and European Union will benefit workers and employers, and could send a message to others in the world seeking workplace reform. Michaels said he looks forward to collaborating with the European Union on the challenges of helping immigrant workers and chemical hazards, including the United States' transition toward the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The European Union is in the process of updating GHS to the third revision.

"We recognize that Europe and the United States have different perspectives and strengths, and that this conference presents an opportunity for all of us to learn and share," Michaels said.