OSHA de-emphasizes assistance program to free up funds for enforcement
May 1, 2009 by Fred HosierPosted in: enforcement, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, New rules and regulations, OSHA news
PDF Want a signal of how serious OSHA is about ramping up enforcement?
The agency is redirecting funding from its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) to free up more resources for enforcement in the tight economy.
OSHA doesn’t have to receive tons more federal funding to ramp up inspections. All it has to do is shift money away from the “helpful” programs established during the Bush administration and toward enforcement.
In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, acting OSHA administrator Jordan Barab said, “We need to better utilize the resources that we already have. In order to direct more of OSHA’s existing resources into enforcement and to provide time to address concerns in an upcoming GAO Report on the efficacy of OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program, I have informed the field staff that we will suspend the previous administration’s practice of establishing goals for new Voluntary Protection Program sites and Alliances.”
What else is OSHA planning to do to beef up enforcement?
OSHA’s acting administrator Jordan Barab plans to work with the Justice Department on increasing prosecution of employers that repeatedly violate safety laws. Watch for more prison sentences for owners and managers who repeatedly flaunt safety regulations.
Barab also plans to replace the failed Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP) with a new Severe Violators Inspection Program. The EEP was recently criticized in an inspector general’s report which said it failed to adequately identify and inspect major companies with repeat violations.
Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress are pushing legislation to increase the amounts of OSHA fines and prison sentences for owners and managers in workplace fatality cases.
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Tags: Enhanced Enforcement Program, Severe Violators Inspection Program, Voluntary Protection Program
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May 4th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Go figure…..right?
15 years or so of Employer Assistance Programs and all it took was one “Obama” to destroy everything the agency has been working on.
Why???? Liberals love enforcement. They see all this money from increased penalties as a nice little cushion for income into their personal treasury account.
I don’t care what the Labor Unions say it’s all garbage. I worked in the private sector for 20 years and as a Federal OSHA Investigator for 12 years. I know the system and how it works.
The Republicans pushed for the Assistance Programs to help employers with compliance. Contraray to popular belief it was the Republicans who always gave OSHA substantial raises for the cost of living because the agency was always losing it’s best investigators to the private sector. To keep things on a fair playing field the Republicans increased the Compliance Officers raises to hopefully keep them in the agency after years of formal training. The Democrats never did a thing for the agency except push for enforcement activity. And still the AFL/CIO unions play to the Democrats every time. I’ve never ever figured that one out. Just like it was the Evil Republicans who started OSHA, EPA, Water Conservation, etc.
If the union membership would at least try and think on their own just once in their life they might see the big picture instead of kissing up to the Union Boys in Washington who have a perfect little world of kissing butt.
I asked some Labor union workers here in our area many times over the years because I presently work for a union construction company and you know the answer they gave me….the Democrats are for the working man… What??? Are you brain dead or just a complete idiot!!!!
Believe me. Increased inspection activity and increased fines will not do squat for the outcome the government should be trying to achieve. Why? Because they see money….not….better working conditions or a reduction in work related injuries. Wake up people and especially all you die-hard union guys/gals who need to think for themselves just once in their lives instead of letting the union do the thinking for you.
May 4th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I am the Executive Director of the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association. I would like to know your reference for stating “The agency is suspending its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) to free up more funding for enforcement in the tight economy” The only reference I am aware about VPP is Acting Assistant Secetary Barabs statement before the Subcommitte on Workforce Protections on April 30 2009. In that statement Barab says “I have informed the field staff that we will suspend the previous administration’s pratice of eatablishing goals for new Voluntary Protection Program sites and Alliances.” There is nothing stating the VPP is suspended. The previous OSHA Assistant Secetary placed actual required numbers of VPP evaluations in OSHA senior managers preformance standards. Barab just deleted that requirment. The FY 2009 OSHA budget shows continuance of the VPP for the FY.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Hi everyone: Is not the govertment, is not inspections and in the end shall be enforcement the OSHA rules and Regulations by all employers, from owners, management, supervisors and each employee work in free workplace environment… As safety supervisor and Outreach Trainer, is explanatory, that 85% of accidents in the workplace happen for “INTIMADATION” to any employee that needs to work safely. I know for a fact that they calling me and telling me whats going on in various sites where they did not care about any incident or perhaps what happen to any worker, no matter the position or task that suppose to do!Including not supplied with PPE…no training, no information in any way! Results, still we have accidents. Who can be blame? Spanish speaking worker or any other employee no matter who the person is, needs more help to prevent died or suffer pain in the place of work. Enforcement rules and regulations, is the same as DOT or EPA, OSHA as well already has this in place…why “WE” did not follow? Why still accidents happen no matter the circunstancies, is all preventable, before inspection or begin to work.
Thanks.
May 5th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Editor’s reply: A May 1 article in the Las Vegas Sun stated, “The head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration testified before a House panel Thursday that he has instructed staff to suspend a voluntary protection program launched under the Bush administration to free up resources for enforcement.” http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/may/01/federal-osha-signals-shift-aggressive-enforcement/
May 5th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Well stated Terry! Elections have consequences. Too many people not only will not think for them selves, they want the government to take care of them and the current crop of politicians in Washington have promised just that. Look past the headlines into the details of what has happened in the last 100 or so days. Maybe it’s just me, but I see a frightening pattern beginning to develop.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Mr. Hosier
Thank you for your reply and the wording change to the May 1 2009 article. OSHA’s focus on enforcement does not equate to suspension of VPP. Former Assistant Secy of Labor Henshaw said he wanted 8000 VPP sites, OSHA continued to make inspections and issue citations.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I had real trouble controlling my comments on some of the published ignorance I have been reading lately. But… 1) Blame Bush? Sorry folks, VPP is 27 years old this year. California (State Plan) is about 23 years old. VPP was established long before Bush went into office. 2) No need for VPP? OK let’s increase the OSHA enforcement budget so a compliance officer has to waste time (tax dollars) going to safe and compliant worksites for NEP’s and “scheduled visits”? 3) Take away the VPP support mechanism and reasons for the employees to take pride in recognition for their safety achievements and safety culture….. Oh it escaped me for a minute, good efforts, safe workplaces, employers committed to the safety and well being of their employees does not sell on the evening news. 4) I put VPP ahead of any other program for spreading the good in an ESTABLISHED working relationship between OSHA, LABOR and Management. Folks all across this nation need to do their homework on the tremendous good that comes out of VPP. Show me another program that compares!! 5) I just lost my job as a safety leader with a safety oriented company, and will have to try and find another job with a company who supports the efforts in employee safety. You can bet I will look within the VPP ranks first and at least use those employers as a networking resource. A whole lot of people better start sounding off to their “elected representatives” in Washington!!
May 5th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I agree with Mike. There is so much good that comes with VPP and the working relationship between OSHA and working falcilities. The VPP help others want to be compliant not becuase of fear of stricter enforcement. It makes you wonder, those who make these decissions where cuts should be made to increase money’s for a particular area really research the value of the programs such as VPP and how it really contributes towards the working people before they try and please a few.
May 11th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
You’ve got to be kidding me. The lengths the republicans will go to spread fear and non-truths. Do some research people. It’s called google and it is very useful when people forget or try to reinvent the facts. We should not be politicizing safety in the first place. It is very well documented that Bush did not invent VPP and in fact, the Bush administration steadily decreased and corroded OSHA funding and regulation over the eight torturous years he was in office. I am a Safety Professional. Not only did an OSHA Regional Manager tell me there has been no such elimination of the VPP but this week, I was able to schedule one of my facilities for the program. And to all you fear mongers, (Terry, Scott, Safety-Alert…), regulation and enforcement is primary and important as we found out recently on Wall Street where self regulation just didn’t work. I believe in being proactive and pride myself in following the law but the truth is that if regulation and enforcement were not present, there would be no incentive for many companies to “do the right thing”. I think it was one of your own who said, “trust but verify”.
OSHA, EPA, FDA etc…need to be funded and need to be enforced. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN UNDER BUSH!
http://www.aflcio.org/issues/safety/bushrecord/upload/bushrecord.pdf
May 12th, 2009 at 7:14 am
VPP works and is still intact. When understanding exists between regulators and the public sector, there are more positives than not without additional enforcement. We do not need more government intervention in the public sector. When the Dems win, it is always payback time for those who helped get them elected, yes the UNIONS. The unions support OSHA heavily and use the organization to get back at their employers over everything from pay to vacation. Just read any web forum where workers discuss their trades, companies, benefits, etc. The picture will come into focus immediately. The disease is rampant. We are now a population fighting among ourselves with a government deeply in debt trying to take over every private enterprise and creating more debt to control it. The wage reduction/ theft (taxes) could be spent on something more productive like figuring out WHAT this country can produce that can be actually SOLD so people can be EMPLOYED again and this country can prevent itself from becoming a large third world nation. But never mind that, lets’ just keep using politics to wage our petty differences over important (impotent) stuff like rumors about the OSHA VPP
June 5th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I am surprised at the reports that are not authentic.
The VPP and other OSHA programs have NOT REPEAT NOT been cancelled and I got my info from a VPP inspector and his superior the District OSHA DIRECTOR.
But OSHA is increasing Construction Inspections as that is where all the stimulus money is going.
The DD said that OSHA is hiring Construction Inspectors
July 30th, 2009 at 12:58 am
From the OSHA Enforcement side and as a former VPP site manager, I can defintely say that the VPP program is one of the most effective management tools in increasing safety in the workplace. I’ve had the experience of going into numerous VPP and nonVPP sites, and the difference between them is quite amazing.
I would like to thank Mr. Layne and the VPPPA for continuing to keep the VPP spirit going strong.
December 29th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
As a MSHA safety director I would have to say that yes we need regulation and enforcement in industry but don’t take money out of other programs to do it and don’t just use safety as a way of revenue generation. Education and Training are the keys. You have to educate the operators (businesses) and the employees.
December 29th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
No matter what people think, the answer to all accidents and more to preventing them, is to all personal need to accept the real true to obtain training. Accident happen I know that, but if we see really how happen, is because no one involve in accident has or ever have training about safety. No matter what kind of task or job the person does, need training. See the results on accidents thru the years in various locations around the country, and see for yourself all, those accidents, happens for lock of training.