Fifteen environmental groups are petitioning U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulators to require employers to document a wider range of illnesses, including flu-like symptoms, suffered by cleanup workers and emergency responders such as BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in 2010. Earth Island Institute and Healthy Gulf and 13 other groups sent their request to OSHA on Feb. 13. The groups are urging OSHA to reconsider its decision to exempt colds and flu from employer recordkeeping. Oil spill exposure often triggers symptoms like cold and flu and may be an early indicator of toxic exposure, according to the petition. The petition notes many legal claims against BP have been denied because they lack initial exposure data - “the very records that OSHA currently exempts,” said Terry Odom, a contract BP safety officer during Deepwater Horizon. (NOLA.com 02/13/23) Groups urge feds to track illnesses common after BP spill | Environment | nola.com
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