The Trump administration’s approach to workplace safety and health is likely to differ significantly from the previous administration, according to safety expert Heather Chapman, MS, CSP, CHMM, CEAS. In a recent interview with ISHN, Chapman shared insights into the potential impact of the new administration on OSHA and its enforcement activities. Chapman, who has over 20 years of experience in the safety industry and is principal at Paradigm Safety, highlighted the administration’s focus on economic growth and the potential for a decrease in new regulations and enforcement.

She wrote an article for ISHN on the topic, and delved deeper in this podcast episode.

Chapman pointed to the Trump administration’s first term as an indicator of its approach to OSHA. During that time, the administration implemented a policy requiring the withdrawal of two existing regulations for every new rule that was promulgated. This, combined with the administration’s focus on economic growth, could lead to a slowdown in the development of new regulations and a decrease in the enforcement of federal OSHA standards.

“Trump’s business background influences his focus on economic growth and being competitive, so he seems to view regulation perhaps as a barrier to achieving those goals,” Chapman said. “And during his first term, we saw a decrease in OSHA inspectors and very few enforcement related press releases, which signaled to a diminished focus on workplace safety regulation and compliance.”

Chapman also noted the potential for political shifts to impact OSHA’s enforcement activities and rulemaking. Under Republican administrations, there is often a decrease in the number of new regulations and a shift in enforcement priorities. This can create uncertainty for employers and employees regarding which standards apply and how they will be enforced.

Looking ahead, Chapman expressed concern about the potential impact of the Trump administration’s policies on specific OSHA regulations

“One of those will be electronic reporting. Injury tracking online kind of ramped up under Obama. And then when Trump came into office the first time, it scaled back and the requirements became less restrictive. Then it ramped back up under Biden. So I suspect now as Trump enters office, we’re going to see some changes to electronic reporting again,” she said.

In addition to the potential changes to OSHA’s regulatory agenda, Chapman also discussed the potential impact of the Trump administration on OSHA’s staffing levels and budget. During his first term, the Trump administration implemented budget cuts that resulted in a decrease in the number of OSHA inspectors. Chapman expects that the administration will pursue similar policies during a second term.

“If Trump’s second term follows this pattern, we’ll likely see the OSHA workforce shrink, which will impact the overall number of citations and penalties. So I think at a federal level, we’ll likely see cuts in budget and staffing for our state plan states. They can continue their own enforcement strategies and policies regardless of the federal policy shifts,” Chapman said.

Chapman emphasized the importance of state-level action in the face of potential federal rollbacks. While the Trump administration may pursue a deregulatory agenda, state plan states have the authority to implement and enforce their own workplace safety standards. Chapman pointed to states like California and Washington as potential leaders in the development of new safety regulations.

“State plan states like California and Washington often lead the way in launching new regulations. So for safety professionals looking to see maybe some best practices or more stringent regulatory requirements, I would look to some of those state plan states to see what resources they offer online as well as what regulations are in the works for them,” Chapman said.