Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations are constantly changing, but these changes don’t just happen overnight. In fact, by the time OSHA implements regulations from one administration’s efforts, the tides change. Under the Trump administration, OSHA is projecting a decrease in regulatory activity.
What will that mean for your company?
OSHA for All
Everyone plays a part in OSHA compliance. CEOs and company executives are required by law to ensure their employees’ safety.
Compliance and safety officers and directors of risk management need to understand OSHA regulations in order to develop job safety and health standards. Human resources directors need to know how to incorporate and implement OSHA training for all employees. Regulatory compliance agents, risk advisors and insurance companies need to consult businesses when faced with violations and citations. General contractors, process technicians, warehouse managers and general employees are the on the front line of OSHA compliance every day.
Basically, if you work for an OSHA-regulated entity, which includes most private and government employers, you are likely responsible in some way for compliance with OSHA regs.
Executive Order Leads to a Decreased OSHA Agenda
On January 30, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order reducing regulation and controlling regulatory costs. The order states “that for every one new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations be identified for elimination.”
Trump’s agenda is creating disarray in federal agencies. “The Trump administration’s weakening of workplace rules is coming into conflict with the stated missions of both the EPA and OSHA,” according to a recent ThinkProgress article. Those two agencies’ authority often overlaps, and companies are scrambling to figure out what they must comply with and what they can let go, as the federal government seems to fight amongst itself.
The DOL also get involved. “The Department of Labor’s (DOL) updated agenda lists 14 OSHA regulations in three different stages—pre-rule, proposed rule and final rule—compared with 30 on the Fall 2016 agenda,” according to Safety and Health Magazine.
For instance, some of the items removed from the regulatory agenda, according to the OMB’s 2017 updated Agency Rule List, are:
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Combustible Dust
- Preventing Backover Injuries and Fatalities
- 1-Bromopropane (1-BP) Standard
- Noise in Construction
- Occupational Exposure to Styrene
Go Beyond Compliance
While the administration is shifting focus from one agenda to the next, you can’t afford to slack in your compliance efforts. In the midst of all these changes, every employer must still know which activities can cause a citation. But you need to know more than just the basic rules!
Keeping up with OSHA regulations in the current administration means knowing the role of your state vs. federal OSHA laws. For instance, some state run OSHA programs only cover public sector employees. And, while a state-run OSHA program is required to implement a minimum set of OSHA standards, some states, like California, go beyond, imposing stricter guidelines.
For example, on Oct. 17, 2017, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board unanimously voted to adopt the Iron Workers’ (IW) comprehensive safety standard updates for reinforcing steel and post-tensioning activities. “California is the first state-approved OSHA plan to work with the IW to reform existing safety standards,” according to an IW press release.
If you’re ever faced with an OSHA inspection your workplace needs to have a safety culture that transcends OSHA regulation. Joining OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), a worksite-based safety and health achievement program, is one way to work together with OSHA to promote safety and health in your workplace. Participation in VPP requires a submitted application to OSHA and an intense onsite evaluation.
Learn About the ‘New OSHA’
What can you expect of safety regulations, compliance assistance and available resources under the Trump administration? Authorized OSHA training expert Sheldon Primus will let you know in an audio conference for AudioSolutionz, “What to Expect from the ‘New OSHA’.” Primus explains how OSHA funding will guide the agency, diving into the differences between old and new OSHA goals and providing the tools you need to comply with the new OSHA mindset.
