Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 3/16/17



The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has yet to issue any public notices of fines for violations so far this year, although officials told The New York Times that enforcement actions are still under way.

OSHA has not posted any news releases covering rule enforcement fines on its website, a major shift from activity under the Obama administration, when the agency issued an average of about 460 news releases per year, the paper reported. Industry associations reportedly are unhappy about Obama-era record-keeping rules ordering companies that were competing for federal contracts to disclose accusations of standard labor violations regarding safety and fair-pay issues that also were publicized by OSHA. The aim was to make sure that companies accused of violating workplace regulations didn’t win government contracts, the paper noted.

A Labor Department spokeswoman told the paper that the agency’s enforcement practices have not changed, but she declined to comment on the perceived reduced number of public notices.

The confirmation hearing for Alexander Acosta, President Trump’s nominee to become Labor Dept. secretary, is expected to begin Mar. 22 after a one-week delay, according to The Hill.

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