Osha’s Oversight of State Plans

Osha’s Oversight of State Plans

Author: Walter Chun

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2019-08-31

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1796056537

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This book publishes the author’s 1999 Doctorate thesis regarding OSHA and the State plans. The OSHAct of 1970 is the worker protection safety and health act that encourages the States to develop and enforce their own worker protection laws. The States must be “as effective as” the OSHA administration and enforcement program. The Act required that States develop their own experimental and demonstrative programs to protect workers. However, the OSHA interpretation of “as effective as” means that the States must “do the same as” OSHA. In 2015 OSHA penalties increased and the States were required to adopt the same. The penalty increase resulted in higher performance measures or quotas used to compare the States with OSHA. This means compliance officers focus on keeping the penalties in accordance with national statistics. Efforts to reduce or eliminate workplace hazards are diminished with the higher penalties and unfair processes.


Workplace Safety and Health

Workplace Safety and Health

Author: U.s. Government Accountability Office

Publisher:

Published: 2017-08-04

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13: 9781974240357

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"Why GAO Did This StudyOSHA is responsible for overseeing occupational safety and health for more than 130 million workers. In about half the states, OSHA sets and enforces compliance with safety and health standards. The remaining states set and enforce their own standards under OSHA-approved plans. In fiscal year 2010, OSHA strengthened its monitoring of state-run programs following a dozen worker deaths in one of those states. Questions have since been raised about how closely OSHA monitors its own enforcement efforts. GAO examined 1) how OSHA's monitoring of its own and state enforcement efforts compares, and 2) recent steps OSHA has taken to evaluate the effectiveness of federal and state enforcement efforts. GAO reviewed OSHA's monitoring policies and procedures and relevant federal laws and regulations; analyzed federal and state audits; visited three OSHA regional offices; and interviewed OSHA officials and other experts.What GAO RecommendsGAO recommends that OSHA standardize guidance for its audit practices, include outcomes in its assessments of its enforcement initiatives, better use data from its audits, and ensure national office participation in audits. OSHA generally agreed with the recommendations but expressed concern about overuse of outcomes"