Fewer inspections, long delays in rulemaking -that's how a Washington newsletter assesses the impact of budget cuts on OSHA. But that was last year's story, really, when the agency conducted the fewest inspections in its history, and the ergonomics standard was put on the back burner. So just how bad is it, this attack on OSHA funding? After all, safety and health managers in industry have been living in lean times for years. Only 25 percent of Industrial Safety & Hygiene News' readers managed to get budget increases for 1996, according to the magazine's research. Only 9 percent are looking to expand their staffs.
There's less money for travel, employee training, and professional development. Many corporate safety and health people feel stretched, strained, and stressed. So OSHA officials must tread carefully when describing their current plight -they're not going to get a lot of sympathy in the harsh business world of the '90s. Fact is, many safety and health pros see nothing wrong with a downsized OSHA.