PETA’s Push To Expand Limits Of Worker Safety Laws

Law360

Partner Wayne D’Angelo co-authored the Law360 article PETA’s Push To Expand Limits Of Worker Safety Laws.” The article describes how People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has stretched the boundaries of workplace hazards” to request specific and targeted regulations of industries that utilize or display animals. While employees in these industries are entitled to the same Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protections as employees in other industries, animal rights organizations’ motivations are arguably entirely distinct from worker health and safety. This article provides two examples of PETA’s use of the OSH Act to advance an animal rights agenda: a petition requesting a standard on the horse racing industry related to disclosing medications administered to horses; and a petition asking OSHA to prohibit free-contact management of elephants. Wayne notes that employers in industries covered by petitions like these would be well-served to work with OSHA and apprise OSHA staff of the practices they already have in place to protect their employees.