Middle-class Americans have a right to expect a safe workplace. Yet, almost 6,000 people are killed at work every year and millions are injured. Thousands more suffer from job-related illnesses, such as lung diseases caused by exposure to unsafe dust and fiber, eczema, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The Occupational Health and Safety Agency was designed in 1970 to protect Americans from harm in the workplace, but under the Bush administration the agency was undermined and workplace safety laws went largely unenforced. The Protecting America’s Workers Act of 2009 would help return OSHA to its intended task of making America’s workplaces safe. The bill extends the Occupational Safety and Health Act to encompass many workers who are not currently covered, such as federal, state, and local public employees. The legislation expands workplace protections, including for workers who refuse to do hazardous tasks and who report injuries or unsafe conditions. Employer policies that discourage reporting of work-related injuries are also prohibited. The bill improves mechanisms for workers and their families to seek redress after an incident has occurred and requires the agency to investigate all incidents involving death or serious injury at work. Finally, the Protecting America’s Workers Act of 2009 raises civil penalties for violations of workplace regulations and increases the severity of punishments for repeat violations and violations that result in death or serious injury.