OSHA: Potential to Reform Regulatory Enforcement Efforts

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed employers' and employees' views on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) mission and how OSHA can improve its enforcement efforts. GAO noted that: (1) OSHA approaches to regulating workplace safety and health issues are often dated and frustrating for both workers and employers; (2) employers and employees believe that OSHA needs to increase communication and cooperation with business and labor and increase employer and worker accessibility to compliance information; (3) OSHA may be able to more effectively carry out its statutory responsibilities by developing alternative regulatory strategies that supplement its labor-intensive enforcement approach; and (4) although OSHA has begun to change its enforcement approach, it is too early to assess the impact of OSHA actions.