Working Safely
By: Steve Sayer
OSHA in 2011 and beyond – new challenges and directions
( Editor’s note; Many of you know Steve Sayer as a friend or neighbor here in Aliso Viejo. He was asked by meatingplace.com to write for them. Meatingplace.com is an on-line community for red meat and poultry processors
in North America. Membership is FREE. Meatingplace.com is published by the Marketing & Technology Group)
Earlier this year Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA published a letter to his OSHA staff entitled; OSHA at forty: new challenges and new directions.
In his letter, Dr. Michaels wrote of nine areas that OSHA needs a “fundamental transformation” in the way it addresses workplace hazards with special emphasis towards its relationship to employers and workers; “… changes that will make OSHA stronger and more effective.”
1. Stronger enforcement: some employers need incentives to do the right thing – This spells bigger regulatory sticks with broader regulatory swings. It’ll also mean hiring additional compliance officers with current officers being re-directed towards enforcement. OSHA will also step up its enforcement of high hazard industries, while incorporating a “shame strategy” that will announce to the public why an employer faces a large fine caused by a serious and/or negligent injury or death. OSHA penalties will also result with higher fines (by changing how they are calculated) including the application of the new Severe violator’s enforcement program.
2. Ensure workers have a voice – OSHA will increase their efforts to reach towards immigrants and non-English speakers; particularly those employed in high hazard industries. OSHA will ensure that when safety training is required, it’s conducted in a language that workers can understand. OSHA will also review the effectiveness of its whistleblower protection policies.
3. Refocus & strengthen our compliance assistance programs – OSHA is currently developing more compliance assistance documents for those without technical backgrounds and limited English-literacy; while refocusing its compliance assistance to support more small businesses.
4. Change workplace culture: employers must find and fix workplace hazards – OSHA wants employers going beyond meeting minimal OSHA standards. One way to do this; OSHA continues to push passage of a national risk-based (I2P2 standard) injury and illness prevention program.
5. Develop innovative approaches to addressing new (and old) hazards: improve intra-agency collaboration – Dr. Michaels noted that “OSHA’s process for issuing regulations is unworkable.” In plain English; OSHA’s process for issuing new standards does not work. An internal agency taskforce is now examining this issue and reaching out to stakeholders to explore alternatives.
6. Improve and modernize workplace injury and illness tracking: strengthen our focus on accurate recordkeeping – OSHA remains highly suspicious of under-reporting by some employers. OSHA plans to propose new regulations that would bring OSHA’s reporting requirements into the 21st century. One way; by transitioning to electronic data collecting and injury tracking.
7. Strengthen OSHA’s use of science – Dr. Michaels wrote that “OSHA would strengthen its ties to the scientific and public health communities and develop ways to incorporate scientific advances more quickly into its regulatory and compliance activities to avoid emerging hazards.”
8. Strengthen state OSHA plans – Currently 22 states have their own OSHA for private and public employees; another five have safety agencies for public employees only. OSHA wants to ensure that penalties assessed by state OSHA’s are as stringent as those issued by the federal agency.
9. Conduct our work with transparency, openness, integrity and humility – Dr. Michaels wrote, “OSHA’s actions must be transparent and our decision making process open.” OSHA will continue to hold country-wide stakeholder “OSHA Listens” sessions, while begin using family members as part of their injury and death investigations because they can be very informative.
What are your thoughts of Dr. Michael’s vision of making OSHA stronger and more effective?
December 29, 2010
