{"id":13607,"date":"2026-03-27T07:40:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T11:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/?p=13607"},"modified":"2026-03-27T13:22:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T17:22:22","slug":"osha-cares-about-employers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/2026\/03\/27\/osha-cares-about-employers\/","title":{"rendered":"OSHA CARES: About the Boss"},"content":{"rendered":"

L<\/span>et’s do some philosophizing and theorizing. Deep thoughts like: why does OSHA exist, how is it working out for workers in the Trump administration, and does OSHA really “care?”<\/p>\n

And if so, about what?<\/p>\n

Now is a good time to think about this. Although we’re over a year into Trump 2.0, in some ways OSHA is just getting off the ground. Sure, we’ve seen a bit of book burning<\/a>, we’ve seen OSHA enforcement staff fall to an all-time historical low<\/a>, we’ve seen inspections dropping<\/a>, we’ve seen a (failed<\/a>) attempt by Trump and House Republicans to decimate OSHA’s budget and kill the Susan Harwood Worker Training Grant Program.<\/p>\n

But in some ways, we’ve only just begun. OSHA’s Assistant Secretary David Keeling has only been on the job for a few months, and we’re just now seeing some of his first initiatives.<\/p>\n

And as expected in any Republican administration, they’re totally focused on helping employers, while any assistance to workers remains an afterthought<\/p>\n

Who Cares? OSHA Cares<\/h2>\n

OSHA’s new mantra is “OSHA Cares,” a phrase that now adorns the top of OSHA’s webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Because why not? As I’ve written before, it can be very sweet and heartwarming if workers feel that OSHA “Cares\u201d about their wellbeing. Everyone wants to be cared for. And who doesn\u2019t want someone to care if they come home alive and healthy at the end of every workday?<\/p>\n

But, of course, saying<\/em> you care and showing<\/em> you care are two different things.<\/p>\n

So what exactly do the current occupants of 200 Constitution Avenue mean by “OSHA Cares?”<\/p>\n

According to the OSHA Cares website<\/a>, “OSHA Cares” means that OSHA will be “strengthening our customer service and expanding compliance assistance, including during enforcement visits.”<\/p>\n

Or, as Keeling described it on the website<\/p>\n

We want to provide practical, real-time insight, equipping employers<\/em> with the tools needed to improve safety and health.<\/p>\n

Through open dialogue, responsive support, and trusted resources, we can help workplaces move beyond compliance toward making sure workers go home safe. [emphasis added]<\/p>\n

Improving customer service is always nice. But who are OSHA’s most important customers? And who really needs most to be equipped with tools to make workplaces safe: employers or workers?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, OSHA’s “care” doesn’t translate into OSHA’s core purpose as described by Congress: “to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources.”<\/p>\n

Nowhere can you find in the text of the law that OSHA’s purpose is “to assure so far as possible every employer in the Nation is equipped with the tools needed to improve safety and health if they happen to be interested in protecting their employees.”<\/p>\n

OK, let’s dive deep into the OSHA Cares program and see what we can find.<\/p>\n

The links on the “OSHA Cares” webpage are<\/p>\n