No, they didn’t turn off the lights and locked the doors. The show definitely goes on, and when you’re inside the expo or attending education sessions, the ugly world of federal government shutdowns seems far far away.

But the National Safety Congress sent out this press release:

“Due to the government shutdown, Dr. Michaels of OSHA will not be in attendance at this year's show. For this reason, today's (Tuesday) press opportunity at 11:30 is canceled. The Occupational Keynote will go on with Dr. Howard of NIOSH and Paul O'Neill. There should be a chance for Q&A at the end of the session.”

Yes, the show must go on. And now into his second term as OSHA chief, there is not much Dr. Michaels can say that safety pros probably haven’t heard before. Maybe he’d get some questions on the silica standard proposal. I2P2, the Injury and Illness Prevention Program, is not the hot issue of several years ago and appears to be on the back burner.

What will be interesting to hear from Dr. Michaels at some point will be his interpretation of President Obama’s recent executive order on chemical plant safety that could include revising the process safety management standard or implementing other emergency preparedness initiatives. OSHA is a key player in the President’s executive order, along with, of course, the EPA.