OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgates occupational safety and health standards and ensures compliance by inspecting places of employment and working with employers and employees. The agency also provides consultation, training, and information services for employers and employees; assists other Federal agencies in establishing and maintaining occupational safety and health programs for Federal workers; and provides matching grants to assist states in administering and enforcing approved state occupational safety and health programs. In FY 2001, OSHA will continue its mission to save lives, prevent injuries and illnesses, and protect the health of America's workers. Consistent with its Strategic Plan, the agency will focus on the most serious hazards and most dangerous workplaces, expand compliance assistance opportunities, and measure results instead of activities.

Safety and Health Standards
The Safety and Health Standards activity provides for the development, promulgation, review and evaluation of occupational safety and health standards under procedures providing opportunities for public comment. In FY 2001, OSHA will continue to base all standards on clear and sensible priorities and review existing rules to revise or eliminate obsolete and confusing standards or provisions of standards. The request includes $2.0 million and 4 FTE to implement regulatory process improvements and develop a better targeted, more responsive program based upon current economic and scientific information.

Federal Enforcement
The Federal Enforcement activity encourages compliance with workplace standards under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 through the physical inspection of work sites, and by fostering the voluntary cooperation of employers and employees. The agency will continue to focus resources on those activities that will have the greatest impact on worker safety and health. OSHA will also continue to target inspections to the worst hazards and the most dangerous workplaces and assist employers and employees in creating safe and healthy workplaces. The FY 2001 request includes an increase of $5.9 million and 70 FTE to strengthen overall agency support for targeted interventions. Included in the increase are compliance officer staff to increase the number of site-specific inspections and impact those industries and worksites with above average injury and illness rates. Also included are additional resources for whistleblower investigators to address increased activity resulting from OSHA's assumption of seven additional EPA Federal whistleblower statutes in 1997 and resources to address workload needs resulting from new emphasis programs, enforcement directives and review of significant and egregious cases.

State Programs
The State Programs activity supports grants to states to assist them in the administration of state occupational safety and health regulations. Currently, 25 states operate their own safety and health programs under this Federal aegis. State Programs support enforcement, consultation, and education and training efforts in OSHA programs operated by the states. These resources enable OSHA's state partners to meet new challenges and complement Federal OSHA's program strategies. In FY 2001, $3.0 million is requested to support a nationwide strategic focus aimed at improving workplace safety and health. The budget request will enable Federal OSHA to support the efforts of State plan programs to implement five-year strategic plans and annual performance plans. The request for State Programs also includes $1.8 million for the State of New Jersey to provide safety and health coverage for its public sector employees.

Technical Support
This activity provides support to Federal OSHA programs in several areas, including construction, standards setting, variance determinations, compliance assistance, and enforcement. Included in the FY 2001 request is $1.6 million to support the development of expert and training advisors, expanded analysis capabilities at OSHA's Technical Centers, and the Compliance Safety and Health Officer physical program.

Federal Compliance Assistance
This activity supports a variety of employer and employee assistance programs. Outreach activities are conducted, including training and information exchanges and technical assistance to employers requesting such help. Employers are encouraged to establish voluntary employee protection programs, and Federal agencies are assisted in implementing job safety and health programs for their employees. Professional training for compliance personnel and others with related workplace safety and health responsibilities is conducted at the OSHA Training Institute, and further training is provided by education centers selected and sanctioned by the Institute. In FY 2001, $9.9 million and 35 FTE are requested to focus compliance assistance and outreach efforts on targeted audiences and hazards. The request will complete the agency's commitment to provide a compliance assistance specialist in every Federal area office and develop supporting training and outreach materials for use by these specialists. Included in this total is $3.0 million for the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program to provide outreach to workers who are entry-level, contingent, or non-English speaking, and meet the special needs of small businesses. The request for Outreach, Education and Training also includes funds to develop an infrastructure to deliver technology enabled training and improve training facilities at the OSHA Training Institute. Also requested in this budget activity is $0.8 million and 10 FTE to provide for ergonomics assistance in the field and support efforts to obtain voluntary compliance in the establishment of ergonomics programs in the workplace.

Compliance Assistance--States
This activity supports 90 percent of Federally-funded cooperative agreements with designated State agencies to provide free on-site consultation to employers upon request. State agencies tailor work plans to specific needs in each State while maximizing their impact on injury and illness rates in smaller establishments. These projects offer a variety of services, including safety and health program assessment and assistance, hazard identification and control, and training of employers and their employees. The FY 2001 request includes $4.0 million to support the development, implementation and delivery of consultative services to small, high-hazard employers and assist them in identifying and controlling or eliminating hazards in the workplace.

Safety and Health Statistics
Safety and Health Statistics provides information technology, management information and statistical support for OSHA's programs and field operations through an integrated data network and statistical analysis and review. An increase of $1.6 million and 3 FTE is requested to improve data collection and program evaluation capabilities to assess the delivery of agency services. Requested resources will support improvements in the tracking of performance measurement data and construction targeting.

Executive Direction and Administration
This activity provides overall direction and administrative support for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.