OSHA's Resumption of Private Sector Enforcement Activities in California
T-HRD-88-19: Published: Jun 20, 1988. Publicly Released: Jun 20, 1988.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
Contact:
GAO discussed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) resumption of private sector worker protection activities in California to determine: (1) OSHA contingency plans for discontinued state-operated worker protection programs; (2) management and transition costs; (3) the impact on OSHA activities outside California; and (4) OSHA enforcement policies compared to California's. GAO found that OSHA: (1) did not terminate the California state plan, but is providing enforcement coverage until the courts determine the legality of the state's decision to discontinue private sector enforcement; (2) has no contingency plan to cover workers when states withdraw from worker protection responsibility, since it believes that it should handle such situations on a case-by-case basis; (3) was unable to use state staff members it had trained because it did not reach an agreement with California; and (4) calculated that transition costs were less than if the state program had continued and expected to spend $12.7 million to support 1988 operations, which was less than the $14 million California requested. GAO also found that, during the transition period, OSHA: (1) experienced significant disruptions in its monitoring of state-operated programs and internal audits; (2) performed only 43 of its 62 scheduled audits in 1987; (3) decreased the number of inspections performed compared to the state; and (4) did not cover as many potential worksite hazards as the California legislation had authorized.
Oct 19, 2020
Fair Labor Standards Act:
Observations on the Effects of the Home Care RuleGAO-21-72: Published: Oct 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 19, 2020.
Jun 22, 2020
-
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act:
Additional DOL Actions Needed to Help States and Employers Address Substance Use DisorderGAO-20-337: Published: May 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 22, 2020.
Apr 14, 2020
-
Job Corps:
DOL Should Provide Greater Transparency in Communicating Its Rationale for Closure DecisionsGAO-20-240R: Published: Apr 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Apr 14, 2020.
Feb 14, 2020
-
National Mediation Board:
Additional Actions Needed to Fully Implement Prior GAO Recommendations and Improve Agency Management and OversightGAO-20-236: Published: Feb 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Feb 14, 2020.
Feb 10, 2020
-
National Weather Service:
Information on Contractor Selection and Work Performed for Its Operations and Workforce Analysis ProjectGAO-20-271R: Published: Jan 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Feb 10, 2020.
Sep 9, 2019
-
Job Corps:
Actions Needed to Improve Planning for Center Operation ContractsGAO-19-326: Published: Aug 8, 2019. Publicly Released: Sep 9, 2019.
Apr 10, 2019
-
Priority Open Recommendations:
Department of LaborGAO-19-395SP: Published: Apr 3, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 2019.
Apr 9, 2019
-
Military Spouse Employment:
Participation in and Efforts to Promote the My Career Advancement Account ProgramGAO-19-320R: Published: Apr 9, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 9, 2019.
Apr 8, 2019
-
Workforce Automation:
Better Data Needed to Assess and Plan for Effects of Advanced Technologies on JobsGAO-19-257: Published: Mar 7, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 8, 2019.
Mar 28, 2019
-
Employment and Training Programs:
Department of Labor Should Assess Efforts to Coordinate Services Across ProgramsGAO-19-200: Published: Mar 28, 2019. Publicly Released: Mar 28, 2019.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here
Explore our Key Issues on Employment
Explore our other Key Issues here
