WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) applauded provisions passed by the House and Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act to require defense contractors to follow industry standards for health and safety on work done in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill will now go to the President.
“These provisions should have been implemented independently by defense contractors a long time ago,” said Senator Casey. “There is widespread evidence that shoddy work has put the health and safety of service personnel at risk. Unfortunately, these commonsense changes will be implemented too late for the troops and contract personnel injured and killed because of substandard work.”
The language contained in the final version of the Defense Authorization bill should improve health and safety by ensuring that all electrical work meets certain defined standards. The provisions are designed to require the Department of Defense to insert into contracts explicit standards designed to prevent, among other things, shoddy electrical work. This would be accomplished by requiring contractors to comply with “generally accepted industry standards” for fire safety, structural integrity as well as for the safety of electrical systems, water treatment and telecommunications networks.
Senator Casey continued, “These changes are being made in large part because of Cheryl Harris’s dedication to find the truth after her son was electrocuted while showering in Iraq. She has been an inspiration to me and others. Unfortunately, we learned recently that another Pennsylvania family has lost a loved one as Adam Hermanson was killed while showering in Iraq last month.”
A separate report accompanying the Senate’s version of the Defense Authorization bill and explaining the intentions of the legislation references the electrocution of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth.
After learning that Staff Sergeant Maseth was killed while taking a shower in Iraq, Senator Casey began pressing the Department of Defense and KBR for answers and assurances that U.S. troops will be safe from further accidental electrocutions. He has received testimony from General Petraeus, sent letters to Gen. Petraeus and Secretary Gates, met with the KBR CEO, testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and participated in two Democratic Policy Committee hearings to increase accountability in government contracting.
In October, Senator Casey wrote a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee urging them to support the contractor provisions and to retain them in the final version of the Defense Authorization bill.
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