At ASSP’s Safety 2023 event in San Antonio in early June, Doug Parker, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, discussed the current state of OSHA and answered questions from audience live as they came in via text.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued new enforcement guidance to make its penalties more effective in stopping employers from repeatedly exposing workers to life-threatening hazards or failing to comply with certain workplace safety and health requirements.

The new criteria include violations of all hazards and OSHA standards and will continue to focus on repeat offenders in all industries. Previously, an employer could be in the program for failing to meet a limited number of standards.

As the nation’s largest discount retailer, Dollar General stores are widely known by shoppers in 46 states for their low-price merchandise. At the U.S. Department of Labor, the company is recognized for its long history of violations and repeated failures to protect its workers from on-the-job hazards.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) issued COVID-19 “general duty" citations to 19 different businesses with serious violations for failing to uphold safety and health workplace guidelines, potentially putting workers in harm’s way. 

One of the more interesting things about being involved in government affairs on a daily basis is listening to the rhetoric that comes from the politicians and the political parties. I say “interesting” because one must listen close to really determine if any of this rhetoric has any bearing on our daily lives. Of course, much of it does, but most of it is simply their way of promoting their own agenda.

Despite some problems, OSHA says its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) is “off to a strong start.” That assessment came in a Severe Violator Enforcement Program White Paperissued this week by the agency.

Last month, Assistant Secretary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Dr. David Michaels held an OSHA Employees All-Hands Meeting. OSHA employees who were not able to attend the meeting in person were able to participate through the web.