Edward Kennedy, United States Senator from Massachusetts and member of the Democratic Party, passed away on the 25 August 2009.

He dedicated himself through his entire career to improving the wellbeing of American society, fighting for public health and workers’ rights and safety. He was involved in various fields and supported many causes. Being a great supporter of OSH matters, fair working conditions and decent work were part of them. He worked very hard to improve workplace safety, mine safety, fair wage and minimum wage.

From the start of his career in the Senate in 1962 till his death, Kennedy authored more than 1.200 bills, of which several hundred became public law. In 2008, he wrote an important report in which he denounced the failure of the law to force employers to consider workers’ safety more seriously. The safety of the nation’s miners was also an issue he fought for. He set up a mine safety reform legislation, the MINER Act, which became law in 2007. This Act gives guarantees to the miners on updated mine technology, stricter safety standards and tougher enforcement.

Kennedy was also an original sponsor of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970. This Act aimed to “assure safe and healthful conditions for working men and women, by assisting and encouraging the States in their efforts to assure safe and healthful working conditions and by providing for research, information, education and training in the field of OSH […]” (from the OSHA Act of 1970).

In 2008, Kennedy was named one of the 50 most influential environment, health and safety leaders (EHS) by Occupational Hazards magazine for his 40 years of advocating for workers’ rights and health and safety in the Senate.

  List of the accomplishments of Senator Kennedy from 1962 to 2009.