Senate Confirms Michaels for OSHA

Last night, the Senate confirmed [1]David Michaels as head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). President Obama nominated Michaels on Aug. 5; the course of his nomination was rocky at times [2].

Michaels now faces the challenge of restoring OSHA to its role as protector of our nation’s workers – a role the Bush administration had little interest in. During those eight years, the queue of occupational hazards in need of regulation grew longer, while the on-the-ground monitoring of worksites became more lenient.

OSHA has already shown some signs of life [3] under the Obama administration, and now that Michaels has been confirmed, he can continue the process of getting OSHA back on track.