Search for OSHA Chief Appears Stalled

March 12, 2001
Industry experts explain why they believe there has been a delay in naming a new OSHA administrator.

"It just seems like there''s too much silence out there. Something''s weird." So said Deron Zeppelin, director of governmental affairs of the Society for Human Resources about filling the empty post of OSHA administrator.

Zeppelin has been involved in discussions with the Bush Administration about a number of empty high government positions. He thought it possible that the nominee has already been chosen and is now going through background checks.

Aaron Trippler, director of government affairs for the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), has a couple of theories of his own about why there appears to be so much inactivity in the effort to fill the top job at OSHA.

One reason is that OSHA may not be high on Labor Secretary Chao''s priority list. Trippler said Chao has not previously been a strong proponent of OSHA-type issues.

A second cause of delay, he believes, is the political scene in Washington, D.C.

"They have not minded delaying this because of the ergonomics situation," said Trippler. According to this line of reasoning, it is wiser not to fill the OSHA slot until Congress decides whether to nullify the ergonomics standard.

"I would not want to walk into the OSHA job being bombarded by labor and Congress," said Trippler. "You''d rather walk in there having no say."

Having no say is something his association knows something about, as AIHA decided not to take a position on the effort to nullify the OSHA ergonomics standard -- although the association did support an ergonomics standard.

AIHA has decided to speak out on who should be the next OSHA administrator.

One of the names often mentioned in Washington, D.C., as a replacement for former OSHA Administrator Charles Jeffress is John Henshaw, environmental, health and safety director of Astaris L.L.C. in St. Louis, Mo. Henshaw asked for, and received, a letter from AIHA backing his effort to be the next OSHA administrator.

Trippler said no one else has asked for AIHA''s support, and that in their letter the association argued that whoever gets the job ought to have a solid background in occupational health and safety.

As for Henshaw, he said that although he has officially applied for the position, he has not yet had any official contact with the administration on the matter. For qualifications, Henshaw cited his 26 years of experience in the field and his profound interest in OSHA.

"I''m deeply concerned about OSHA and its effectiveness," Henshaw said. "My objectives would be to make it more effective, more efficient, and more credible."

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 IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics 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.

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