I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration, OSHA, floated a plan last week that makes companies with people who work at home responsible for their workplaces. The nanny state just took a big step forward.
Now, my guess is most people who work at home sit in front of a computer. That means ergonomically correct kind of chairs. Then there are exit signs on the doors. Better stairs to the basement office. You're asking companies to be responsible for something they shouldn't be, adding one more time-consuming bit of regulatory business to their crowded plate. And think of the invasion of privacy when your company starts checking your house.
And who says OSHA won't start knocking on doors? What if you work with materials children could get into? What if you use homemade equipment. Heavens, what if you smoke, and other people are in the house when you do it? Sound silly? Sure, and so did lawsuits against gun makers.
Welcoming big government into your home is a truly bad idea, one that should be killed and buried ASAP.
Those are my ideas, and at the NCPA we know ideas can change the world. I'm Pete du Pont. Next time, Freeing the Internet.