(SINCE 2000) OSHA Comes Up Short on Workplace, Safety-Program Evaluations

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: OSHA Comes Up Short on Workplace, Safety-Program Evaluations, Report Shows
By Stephen Barr
Wednesday, April 26, 2006; Page D04

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not perform many safety inspections at federal workplaces and has not conducted any agency-wide evaluations of federal safety programs in the last six years, according to a recently released congressional report.

In addition, OSHA has not turned in a report on federal agency safety programs to the president since fiscal 2000, even though OSHA is required by a White House directive and regulations to review the programs each year, the report by the Government Accountability Office said.

"OSHA's oversight of federal agencies' safety programs is not as effective as it could be because the agency does not use its enforcement and compliance assistance resources in a strategic manner," the GAO report said.

Officials at OSHA acknowledged they have problems with their enforcement and compliance strategies "but noted that they have relatively few staff dedicated to federal agency oversight," the report said. The Labor Department, OSHA's parent agency, generally agreed with the findings, GAO said.

The GAO report was requested by Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Labor Department. "This GAO report assists in determining what further steps can be taken to ensure that workers have safe conditions and that violations are closely monitored," Scott Hoeflich , a spokesman for Specter, said....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/25/AR2006042501991.html?nav=most_emailed

[cap]

1. i'll bet the same has happened for EEOC

as well

[salin]

2. I knew a labor dept lawyer in the second Reagan term

reportedly the lawyers for the dept spent most of their time on suits - against the labor dept for not doing its job. Would bet the same thing is going on now. Its what happens when folks are put in at the top who do not believe in regulation, or the responsibilities of the dept.

[rodeodance]

3. It is Bush who is always quacking about 'results"

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. The key paragraph is this:

"Officials at OSHA acknowledged they have problems with their enforcement and compliance strategies "but noted that they have relatively few staff dedicated to federal agency oversight," the report said. The Labor Department, OSHA's parent agency, generally agreed with the findings, GAO said"

Typical Republican strategy for programs they don't like. Keep them on the books but make sure they are so underfunded that they can't possibly function.