On Jan. 11, 2006, three employees of the city of Daytona Beach were burned in a methanol tank fire. Two of them died; one was critically injured. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board investigated, and in March 2007 reported — to the apparent surprise of many — that public workers in Florida are not covered by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

During the next legislative session (2008), the Florida Public Task Force on Workplace Safety was established to develop findings and issue recommendations on how the state can ensure that Florida government complies with OSHA standards. The governor, the president of the Senate, and the speaker of the House each appointed five members; Department of Management Services Secretary Linda South was named chair. The diverse team was a study in efficiency. Appointed Sept. 4, they held their first public meeting Oct. 17 and issued their final report Dec. 22, nine days before the official Jan. 1 deadline.

During public meetings and deliberations, the members addressed issues such as the differences in the workplace safety needs of private-sector employers and public-sector employers; the relationship between federal and state activities related to workplace safety; and the effect of public-sector workplace safety and health on the economic development efforts of the state.