OSHA Launches Initiative to Expand Compliance Assistance for Employers

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the launch of OSHA Cares, an agency-wide initiative aimed at helping businesses meet federal workplace safety requirements and develop safety and health programs.

According to the agency, the initiative is intended to make OSHA more accessible to employers, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, by increasing access to OSHA experts and compliance assistance specialists, improving availability of educational and training materials and providing workplace assistance during enforcement visits and meetings.

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David Keeling framed the initiative as a shift in how the agency deploys its resources. "We want to be in the abatement business. We want to be in the solutions business. We don't want to only be in the enforcement business. We want to fix the issues, and that means coming at problems from many different directions, not just one," Keeling said at a virtual media briefing on the initiative.

As part of OSHA Cares, the agency's Directorate of Enforcement Programs is launching a training program to standardize how Compliance Safety and Health Officers provide real-time assistance during inspections and enforcement activities.

Keeling also outlined plans to expand the agency's use of artificial intelligence, particularly around predictive analytics for serious injury and fatality data. "We're looking at predictive analytics and AI from a very aggressive stance — everything from how we measure success to the tools we're giving inspectors. The BLS data we rely on is two years old. It doesn't do a lot of good to be looking that far back. We need to get ahead of the problem," he said.

Last month, OSHA also released an updated version of the workplace safety poster employers are required to display, featuring a revised design intended to address safety hazards collaboratively between employers and workers. The updated poster includes a QR code linking to additional compliance resources on OSHA.gov.

When asked about resources for businesses seeking compliance guidance, Keeling specifically directed chemical industry professionals toward the American Industrial Hygiene Association. "If you're in the chemical industry, AIHA is a great group to get involved with — but I would look for your local chapters because they give you an in," he said.

Additional information on the OSHA Cares initiative is available at OSHA.gov.