Re: OSHA: An agency that is ripe for an overhaul

[Guest guest]

Forgive me, but I don't see how 'reforming " OSHA will have any effect

at all on occupational health and safety.

Health and safety is not a result of Federal government intervention.

Like any other good in society, it is a product of the alignment of

incentives. In other words, the key to achieving and sustaining safe,

healthful workplaces is ensuring that the interests of employers

(profits, protection of property, retaining productive workers,

business sustainability) and employees (wages, personal safety and

health) are aligned.

To do this, the employer and employee must first overcome all of the

obstacles interfering with such an alignment. Some of the obstacles

are of nature and must be managed. Many others are economic,

regulatory, and bureaucratic.

Reforming a federal agency with a half-billion dollar budget, that

cannot even inspect 2% of business establishments in a year will be

completely ineffective, and may even do more harm than good.

We, as health and safety professionals must take a holistic view of

the entirety of all of the interests and obstacles at work in these

relationships, and offer solutions that will advance toward the goal

of injury- and illness-free workplaces for all.

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> OSHA: An agency that is ripe for an overhaul

> Lawmakers should get past politics and take occupational health and

safety

> seriously

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> Sun, Nov 30, 2008 (2:04 a.m.)

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