Nebraska Must Not Trade Prevention for Policy Gaps — Support the LB397 Safety Amendment Now

Workplace safety is not theoretical for public employees. It is not a policy exercise. It is not a political talking point.

It is whether someone goes home safe at the end of their shift.

Right now, Nebraska lawmakers are considering LB397, a bill originally framed as a “cleanup” measure. But as the bill moved forward, it became clear that removing state safety structure could unintentionally create a dangerous gap — especially for public employees.

Here is the reality many Nebraskans don’t realize:

Most municipal and county employees in Nebraska are not covered by federal OSHA.

That means state law is not optional for public worker safety. It is foundational.

The amendment carved out to LB397 restores something critical:
Statutory safety committees.
Injury prevention programs.
Worker involvement in identifying hazards before someone gets hurt.

That is not bureaucracy. That is prevention.

Across Nebraska, safety committees work because they bring together the people closest to the work — the employees doing the job and the managers responsible for operations. When employees are involved in safety planning, incidents decrease. Hazards get identified earlier. Corrections happen faster.

When safety becomes reactive instead of proactive, injuries increase. Costs increase. Risk increases — for workers, employers, and taxpayers.

Even if OSHA does not directly regulate public sector workers in Nebraska, OSHA represents the national baseline for workplace safety. Removing state safety structure does not remove hazards. It removes the systems designed to prevent them.

Safety committees are not red tape.
They are structured prevention.

They are employee engagement.
They are accountability.
They are risk management.

And they save lives.

If Nebraska truly wants to modernize workplace safety law, modernization must strengthen prevention — not remove it.

The LB397 amendment represents a balanced path forward. It allows legislative modernization while preserving the core safety structures that protect public employees and the communities they serve.  

Public workers maintain our roads.
They maintain water systems.
They repair infrastructure.
They operate public facilities.
They respond to emergencies.
They keep Nebraska running.

They deserve more than “optional” safety.

They deserve structure.
They deserve prevention.
They deserve a voice in the systems designed to keep them safe.

Now We Need Your Help - Comment on LB397 by clicking this link

If you believe public workers should have real safety protections — not policy gaps — contact your State Senator today.

Ask them to support the LB397 amendment that preserves public sector workplace safety protections.

When constituents speak, lawmakers listen.

Nebraska can modernize workplace law and protect workers at the same time.

We should do both.