(This column originally appeared in The Inquirer)
Most experts agree that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under the second Trump administration, will continue its strategy from his first administration.
Trump recently announced David Keeling, a self-employed safety expert with experience leading safety programs at UPS and Amazon, as his new pick to lead OSHA.
That approach, as summarized by lawyers from the global firm McGuireWoods: “vigorous enforcement of existing OSHA standards, but little appetite for new ones.”
“Employers wondering if the Trump administration will continue to enforce workplace safety laws now have an answer: yes,” the firm told its clients in a blog post last week.
Already in 2025 employers are facing higher penalties for workplace safety violations and increased reporting requirements.
So how should employers be doing? Best practices include: regular safety training, routine workplace inspections, proper record-keeping, and the safe handling of hazardous materials.
But here’s something else many of my clients don’t consider: proactively reaching out to OSHA directly and leaning on the resources they provide.
“It’s our best kept secret,” said Nicholas DeJesse, a Philadelphia-based regional administrator at the agency.
Use the OSHA app and other free resources
OSHA has a downloadable Small Business Checklist app, a free tool that provides OSHA compliance information and safety tips on common topics like ergonomics, fire protection, heat prevention, and proper use of hand and other power tools.
OSHA’s website also provides resources targeted toward small businesses, which includes webinars and safety trainings, guidance for creating a safety and health handbook, advice for keeping up to date records, compliance guides, and a number of industry-specific publications.
Lean on industry associations
Each industry has its own safety concerns, and some of these issues never seem to go away.
For example, when DeJesse started OSHA in 1996, the leading killer in construction workplaces was falling from heights.
“Guess what’s the leading killer today? Falls from heights, unfortunately,” DeJesse said. Other risks for construction workers include falling objects, inadvertent electrical contact, and cave-ins or other hazards related to digging deep trenches.
Fire and heat are also a major safety issues, especially for workers in the restaurant industry. Even office workers face risks when their workspace is not ergonomically designed.
OSHA works closely with many industry associations, employer and employee groups, labor unions, worker centers and nonprofit organizations to keep their members informed. In Philadelphia, OSHA has an alliance with 30 such organizations, DeJesse said.
“The best place to find out the risks facing your business is through one of these groups,” he said.
Take advantage of OSHA’s consulting services
OSHA also provides free onsite consulting services as part of its Voluntary Protection Program. Inspectors will come onsite to a company’s premise and identify problem areas.
DeJesse says about 130 larger companies in the region participate in the program. The agency also offers an onsite consultation service program specifically for small employers.
“These are companies that have made it a priority to integrate safety into their business operations,” he said. “They just don’t comply with the minimum standard, they go above and beyond the standards.”
These visits often identify risks.
For example, “To try and address falls at worksites, we’ll ask how ladders are being used, if employees have been properly trained in their use, and if they’re being used in the right place, like away from power lines and other hazardous structures,” he said.
OSHA consultants can also help with writing safety and health policies, addressing respiratory risks, and establishing a personal protective equipment program, DeJesse said.
“The point of that consultation service is simply to get requests from small businesses and set them up for success,” he said. “It’s truly our best kept secret.”
But what if OSHA consultants find issues that could result in fines or inspections? That shouldn’t be a concern, DeJesse emphasizes, because the consultants do not talk to the enforcement groups.
“There’s no connectivity there,” he said. “There’s a firewall between both. These programs can be similar to an inspection, but they’re not officially an inspection.”
Be prepared for an inspection
According to DeJesse, an “unprogrammed” inspection is when the agency gets a complaint from an employee or a referral from another federal agency, or their inspectors see something themselves drive down the street.
“One thing’s for sure,” he said. “You won’t know when we’re coming.”
Although that sounds threatening, DeJesse doesn’t want business owners to panic at the thought of an inspection.
“Be cooperative,” he said. “We gauge the cooperativeness of the employer through the inspection process. Our job is to find and point out hazards so nobody gets hurt or gets killed.”
While an employer could ask to postpone the visit, DeJesse added, “that might result in us getting a subpoena or warrant to come into the facility.”
DeJesse said his goal is never to see the employer again after a visit.
“A good OSHA inspector should be able to give an employer enough information and enough resources to set them up for success.”
