Recently, we received a comment from a reader who was tired of reading so much negativity about OSHA. So that led us to wonder: What do people in charge of safety at their companies really think about OSHA, especially given its new focus on enforcement?
And you told us: OSHA isn’t all that bad. In a poll posted on this website’s home page, 403 people responded to the question, “How do you view OSHA?” Your responses:
- 50% said OSHA is “good, but sometimes they go overboard”
- 28% called OSHA “a positive force”
- 17% said the agency is “a necessary evil,” and
- 5% said OSHA is “the bad guys.”
Only one in 20 responders chose the most negative view of OSHA. And we get comments from those of you who think OSHA is “the bad guys” in the comment sections on this website. Comments left recently say OSHA is just out to make money for the current administration and that the agency is making it too easy for employees to complain about conditions at their companies.
But almost eight out of ten responders (78% to be exact) give OSHA what amounts to a good grade.
And another one in five (17%) see OSHA’s worth, even if they don’t particularly care for the agency.
This more positive reaction to OSHA as a federal agency is particularly telling at this moment, when the agency is ramping up inspections, increasing fines, and preparing new regulations such as one requiring companies to have injury and illness prevention programs.
We always have a poll on our home page. It changes about once a week. It gives you, the reader, an opportunity to see what your peers at other companies are doing and thinking. Is there a question you’ve always wanted to ask other safety professionals? You can suggest a question for an upcoming poll in the Comments Box below.
