White House Goal Doubles the Number of OSHA Inspectors

President Biden has stated a goal of doubling OSHA’s inspection force to roughly 1,500 by 2024.  This goal faces daunting challenges—from recruiting and training people with the needed skills to convincing lawmakers to pay for the new positions.  The administration’s plans to increase inspectors is driven by frustration with OSHA’s inability to respond to an overwhelming number of worker complaints during the pandemic.

As of April, OSHA had 748 inspectors, officially called compliance safety and health officers.  At its current staffing level OSHA is limited in how many inspections it can do that are not in response to immediate reports of injuries or hazards. The buildup would cost tens of millions of dollars annually and require a long-term financial commitment, according to the president’s fiscal 2022 budget proposal.

Budget Proposal -- The proposed OSHA budget, $664.4 million appropriations for fiscal 2022, would essentially take OSHA’s peak budget during the Obama administration and adjust it upward for inflation. The 2022 enforcement budget would grow 10 percent from fiscal 2021 to $254.6 million.

Action by Congress -- Neither the House nor Senate appropriations committees have scheduled votes on Department of Labor spending proposals. The current chairs of the Senate and House subcommittees with responsibilities for OSHA’s appropriation have supported past efforts to increase funding. President Biden’s nominee to lead OSHA, Doug Parker, told senators during his May 27 confirmation hearing that recruiting and training new staff was his “top priority.” 

This update is courtesy of the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF). For more information or to become a member, visit nasf.org.