HIRONO COMMENDS FAA POLICY TO IMPROVE SAFETY STANDARDS FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono commended the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) announcement yesterday that flight attendants will be covered under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace protections. OSHA protections cover such on-the-job hazards as dangerous chemicals and blood-borne pathogens.

“I commend FAA and OSHA for finalizing their policy to expand workplace protections for flight attendants. This change has been a long time coming,” Hirono said. “I have publicly pushed for these protections, and finalizing this policy will make a difference for the men and women who serve as our first responders in the sky.”

Hirono has long championed this issue, raising public awareness about crewmember safety as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during the markup of the FAA Reauthorization bill in 2011. Hirono also introduced in the House the Airline First Responder Workplace Fairness Act to require the FAA to increase workplace protections in the sky.