Democrats in Congress are seeking harsher criminal sanctions against employees who commit safety violations that result in the deaths of workers. The movement is backed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts who will support legislation that would increase the maximum prison sentence to 10 years from six months for willful safety violations that result in deaths. The legislation is partly in response to the reporting of data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which revealed a startling lack of employer accountability for workplace deaths.
See "Strong Criminal Penalties Sought for Violations That Kill Workers", David Barstow, The New York Times, April 27, 2004