Following President Donald Trump’s second inauguration last year, employers have seen significant changes in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s approach toward enforcement of workplace safety rules. While some of this change may be attributed to budget and personnel reductions, OSHA appears to be following a different approach from the Biden administration’s reliance on large monetary penalties to encourage safe work practices.

This approach is illustrated by a new program launched by OSHA last month. OSHA Cares is an initiative focused on small- and medium-sized businesses that encourages these employers to proactively reach out to the agency for consultation and access to resources intended to create safer workplaces. While OSHA has long offered consultative services to employers, many companies hesitated to participate, fearing that failure to implement recommendations made by the agency could lead to enforcement action. OSHA Cares is intended to reduce those concerns by providing greater access to safety resources and by increasing the degree of confidentiality of such assistance. OSHA also says that it will direct investigators to provide employers with consultation and compliance assistance during worksite inspections.

Participation in these programs does not guarantee that OSHA will not later cite employers for compliance issues. However, this initiative is intended to reduce some of the suspicion and adversarial attitude that employers assume when dealing with the agency. Information on OSHA Cares can be found here.