OSHA insisted on formalizing employer safety practices. But times are different. I've conducted evaluations in over 1000 different facilities in the past decades and I've seen huge improvements with my own eyes. Today there is a massive cadre of dedicated safety and health professionals in industry, which makes the efforts of 30 years ago look miniscule. Education among workers and managers alike regarding hazards is much elevated.
Actual conditions are unarguably better.
It's time for a 30-year check at the Federal level. We need a new approach to regulation, one suited for this century, not the past one. It sounds trite to say we should focus on goals rather than petty details, but the basis of enforcement as we know it relies on the petty details. There is opportunity here. Ergonomics is all about innovation.