There should be little doubt that the OSHA of 2011 is not the OSHA of 2000-08. Anticipated changes in OSHA have been on the way since the new Secretary of Labor in the Obama administration took over with the statement, “There is a new sheriff in town.”

There should be little doubt that the OSHA of 2011 is not the OSHA of 2000-08. Anticipated changes in OSHA have been on the way since the new Secretary of Labor in the Obama administration took over with the statement, “There is a new sheriff in town.”

A new sheriff indeed.

The purpose here is not to take sides on which OSHA is better for workers or business or both. What has been on my mind lately is, “What is good about OSHA being operated as a political organization?”

That is, why is OSHA not run outside the realm of the political parties such as the Federal Reserve system?

The real problem with OSHA being run by politicians is the disruptive nature of change driven by the constant change in the power structure of our country. Not a bad thing; our system of government works fairly well overall. But worker safety should be sacrosanct and above the political fray. Business owners and workers alike should remain on a steady path of continuous improvement.

The pathway to reach the pinnacle of safe work environments is greatly disturbed by changes in the balance of power. It seems that years are lost when administrations change and even the bureaucrats seem to go underground until the new direction is made clear.

No governmental entity should operate above the law or without scrutiny, but the basic direction of how to deal with worker safety should only change with logic, not by way of which party is in power. Change is part of the continuous improvement process, and changes in leadership provoke changes in organizations. The methods may change but the mission should remain the same for the most part.

The problem for business is the lack of clarity on how to plan for the future of their enterprises. What will come at them next by way of new requirements for providing a safe workplace? And at what level should they expect enforcement on their business as well as their competition? If the rules are clear it is pretty easy to plan and run your business. With the rules subject to change the temptation is great to simply defer improvements until an easier going administration comes along. That is not conducive to continuous improvement, but very much the opposite.

OSHA recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and claims to have been a major factor in the continuous improvement the lot of America’s workplace. Hard to argue with them, no matter which side of the political spectrum you sit. But OSHA’s next 40 years could be even better if politics and politicians would simply step aside.

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