Manufacturers on SAFE TO WORK Act
Washington, D.C. – Manufacturers of all kinds have been called on to continue to operate as critical infrastructure to support our nation’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. For that reason, they risk becoming targets in a wave of COVID-19-related lawsuits or enforcement actions based on product liability, alleged workplace transmission and even Good Samaritan efforts. National Association of Manufacturers Senior Vice President and General Counsel Linda Kelly released this statement after lawmakers announced the Safeguarding America’s Frontline Employees To Offer Work Opportunities Required to Kickstart the Economy (SAFE TO WORK) Act:
“Throughout this crisis, we have seen clear bipartisan support for provisions like these that protect companies doing their very best to implement the latest guidance, even in a difficult and confusing environment. The SAFE TO WORK Act mirrors the liability recommendations proposed by manufacturers as part of our ‘American Renewal Action Plan’ in April.
“Importantly, the SAFE TO WORK Act also provides clear avenues for holding bad actors responsible for reckless behavior, while providing powerful incentives for all employers to do everything they can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is the type of thoughtful, responsible approach we need that will provide manufacturers and other frontline businesses with targeted protections limited only to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s about supporting manufacturers that have risen to the challenge and supported our nation during this unprecedented crisis, finding solutions to make PPE for health care workers, to produce food and supplies for families and to develop vaccines and treatments for us all.”
NOTE: In April, manufacturers laid out their “Pandemic Liability Policy Recommendations” as part of the NAM’s “American Renewal Action Plan.”
-NAM-
The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 11.7 million men and women, contributes $2.37 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.