I've seen little public discussion over what the federal government's workplace watchdog — the Occupational Safety and Health Administration — will look like in a Trump administration. This piece by Tom Musick addresses that question, and not surprisingly it looks like we are in for less regulation of workplace hazards. Musick also notes that "Trump’s limited-regulation stance, coupled with his experience in construction and other industries [which are subject to OSHA regulation], suggest to some that he will steer OSHA more toward compliance assistance and away from enforcement." This passage in particular caught my attention:
[OSHA's] injury and illness electronic recordkeeping rule could be among the first items that Trump targets, according to [D.C. lawyer Eric] Conn. The rule requires many employers to electronically submit injury and illness data, which may then be published on OSHA’s website. Anti-retaliation protections also are included in the rule, which prohibits employers from discouraging workers from reporting an injury or illness. The rule has drawn sharp criticism from some employers, who claim it is burdensome and unnecessary. In July, eight industry groups – including the National Association of Manufacturers and Associated Builders and Contractors – filed a legal challenge to block the rule, claiming the anti-retaliation provisions unlawfully banned or limited safety incentive programs and post-incident drug testing. A judge denied the motion in November. “I could easily see, at the very least, a Trump administration curbing the publishing of that data,” Conn said. “And the other side of that same rule is the anti-retaliation elements that would prohibit some post-incident, post-injury drug testing and safety incentive programs. I could see that rule being curbed.”
