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Henshaw Gets Help at OSHA

Nov. 6, 2001

Gary Visscher, a former member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, will soon be named deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA.

EHS Today Staff

Gary Visscher, a former member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, will soon be named deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, according to agency sources. Visscher''s responsibilities are to include policy, information technology, and public affairs. The position does not require Senate confirmation.

The new political appointee may give OSHA chief John Henshaw, a relative outsider to Washington, some extra help in dealing with Congress.

Visscher was the policy counsel for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce until 1999, when he was appointed to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. He left the review commission last year to join the American Iron and Steel Institute, a Washington, DC industry trade association.

Visscher also appears to be someone who could help Henshaw build bridges between OSHA stakeholders. In addition to his strong ties to industry, Visscher has evidently earned the respect of organized labor. Even though he was a Republican appointed to the review commission by a Democratic administration, labor did not oppose the nomination in 1999.

OSHA had no comment on the appointment, which has not yet been announced publicly.

by James Nash

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.