After the one-year recess appointment of Robert Rowland, John Pendergrass (1986 -1988), a lifelong industrial hygienist, left 3M to head the agency. Operating in the waning Reagan years, Pendergrass issued 11 safety standards and four health standards. Most notably, Pendergrass tried to update OSHA’s permissible exposure limits, but was overruled in court. He also pushed to issue voluntary safety and health program management guidelines, which almost 30 years later are currently being updated by OSHA.