Emergency Rule, More Enforcement Forecast for OSHA Under Biden

Occupational safety experts and attorneys say OSHA, under President-elect Joe Biden, will have the look and feel of an Obama-era federal safety agency, and less like the administrator-less, laissez-faire prone Trump administration edition.

They anticipate increased enforcement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, more whistleblower protections for workers and the immediate declaration of an emergency temporary standard to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Biden will also get the chance to name a new member to the three-person Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, giving Democrats a 2-1 majority on the panel responsible for adjudicating appeals of OSHA citations and ...