The committee, established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, advises the Secretaries of Labor and Health and Human Services on occupational safety and health programs. Members of the 12-person advisory committee are chosen on the basis of their knowledge and experience in occupational safety and health.
"The federal government and the American people benefit tremendously from the knowledge and experience that committee members bring to the table," said Chao. "They share their unique talents and expertise on safety and health, and they help us ensure that we are doing everything possible to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace."
To ensure continuity in the committee, members are appointed on a rotational basis with some serving for one-year terms and others for two-year terms.
The newly appointed members are:
Management Representative
- Susan Eckerly, vice president, Federal Public Policy, National Federation of Independent Businesses; two-year term.
Public Representative
- Peter DeLuca, administrator, Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services; two-year term.
Labor Representatives
- Richard Duffy, assistant to the president, International Association of Firefighters; two-year term.
- Donald Carson, center director, Hazmat Program, International Union of Operating Engineers; two-year term.
Safety Representative
- James Stanley, vice president, Safety and Health, AK Steel; two-year term.
The reappointed members are:
Management Representative
- Judith Freyman, JD, director, Western Occupational Safety & Health Operations, Organization Resources Counselors; one-year term.
Public Representative
- Ron Hayes, Families in Grief Hold Together, (F.I.G.H.T.); one-year term.
Safety Representative
- Rixio Medina, CSP, manager, Corporate Health, Safety, and Security, CITGO Petroleum Corp.; one-year term.
Four new members designated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and appointed by the Secretary of Labor are:
Public Representatives
- Letitia Davis, Sc.D, director of Occupational Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health; one-year term.
- Vickie Wells, MPH, CIS director, Occupational Safety & Health, San Francisco Department of Health; two-year term.
Health Representatives
- James Blessman, MD, MDH, assistant professor, Wayne State University; one-year term.
- Julia Faucett, RN, professor of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco; two-year term.