OSHA Sees Budget Cut Proposals 'Major Problem' For Enforcement, Reg Agenda

OSHA's enforcement activities across the country as well as its efforts in Washington to advance or wrap up rulemaking efforts in several key areas would be severely hobbled by House Republican proposals to slash the agency's budget by nearly 18 percent for the rest of this fiscal year, and the cuts would reduce staffing to 1970s levels, OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Jordan Barab told Inside OSHA Online in an exclusive interview. But for now OSHA is pushing ahead with its top regulatory priority, an injury and illness prevention program rule (I2P2), with a proposal expected to be ready for a