We should not fear for our lives when we go to work.

In just little more than a year, 10 workers in Greater Pittsburgh have lost their lives on the job. Among them was Carl Beck.

Mr. Beck, a 29-year-old construction worker, was killed when he fell more than 40 feet from a roof in North Strabane, Washington County. His employer, C.A. Franc, had failed to utilize safety equipment even though a number of workers had said the job was too dangerous.

The boss didn't care. Mr. Beck paid the price.

The workers on this job site knew what needed to be done. And who can better police the workplace to prevent unscrupulous employers from endangering workers than workers themselves?

Workers should not be afraid to bring their concerns to their employers. But if they are, they should file a complaint with the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA was created by Congress in 1970 to ensure that employers provide safe workplaces. One of the ways we do that is by ensuring that workers are heard.

For some workers -- those who don't speak English well, for example -- this can be an especially big challenge. That's why we are reaching out to the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach workers, including immigrants and non-English speakers, as well as those employed in high-hazard industries. We also are strengthening our Whistleblower Protection Program because silenced workers are not safe workers.

Some try to frame issues of worker safety as pitting workers against business. But we all know that the vast majority of employers care deeply about the health and safety of their employees. To many small business owners, employees are like family. It's not fair to let unscrupulous competitors undercut them by cutting corners on safety and health.

My department will go after anyone who negligently puts workers at risk. Employers willing to ignore workplace hazards because they think it is not in their financial interest to eliminate them should know that OSHA has enhanced enforcement activities to deter would-be violators.

The new Severe Violators Enforcement Program focuses OSHA's resources on recalcitrant employers who demonstrate indifference to their responsibilities under the law. Fines for these employers will grow stiffer even as OSHA maintains its policy of reducing penalties for small employers and those who act in good faith.

All employers should adopt a systemic approach to safety and health that invites worker participation and requires every employee to find and fix every workplace hazard, even if there is no applicable OSHA standard. This means investigating incidents that have caused injury or exposures to substances that may result in long-term health effects. And it means uncovering near misses that presage future harm to workers.

For many employers, this represents a fundamental change in workplace culture, with its success resting on close collaboration between managers and workers.

OSHA enforcement and penalties are not just a reaction to workplace tragedies. They are meant to discourage employers from cutting corners or underfunding safety programs to save a few dollars.

After Carl Beck was killed, OSHA investigators cited Christopher Franc, the owner of C.A. Franc, for failing to protect his workers from falls. The company was fined $539,000. Then, with the help of the Justice Department, Mr. Franc was brought up on criminal charges for willfully violating OSHA regulations. Mr. Franc pled guilty and was sentenced to six months' house arrest and three years' probation.

None of these actions is going to bring Mr. Beck back to his family, but they do send a message to other employers and might prevent future workplace fatalities.

So on this Labor Day, let us honor the memory of Carl Beck by urging workers to speak up for safety. Let us remind them that their voices count.

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