Federal OSHA is stagnant and ill-prepared to regulate future risks. OSHA has only 1,850 inspectors to cover 8 million U.S. workplaces. OSHA has no regulations for rising concerns such as infectious disease, EMFs, psychosocial hazards, or ergonomics. OSHA regulates only about 600 of the more than 80,000 chemicals that may be used at workplaces – and exposure limits for regulated chemicals are mostly based on decades old toxicological data. Hazards that OSHA does regulate, such as noise, often provide significantly weaker protections than the U.S.’s peer nations.
Voluntary implementation of OHS best practices can solve future risks. U.S. employers, however, have fallen far behind global peers toward voluntary efforts. Conformance to ISO 45001:2018 OHS management systems – requirements with guidance for use is the foundation and gateway for OHS best practices.