Occupational Safety and Health: Changes Needed in the Combined Federal-State Approach

OSHA has taken a number of actions that reflect GAO's recommended emphasis on measures of program outcomes and evaluations. Through the Government Performance and Results Act, it has developed a strategic plan that establishes three strategic goals and benchmarks for how OSHA will evaluate its progress meeting those goals. According to the plan, these goals establish the parameters against which the operation of the state-plan states will be evaluated. OSHA is also developing guidelines for states to use to develop their own strategic and annual performance plans, which will become part of the state grant application process in fiscal year 1999. OSHA has also been encouraging states to enter into voluntary performance agreements (which will become subsumed into the revised strategic planning process). These agreements provide a way to emphasize program outcome measures and assessment of the achievement of state-defined goals and outcomes.

In March 1994, OSHA completed action on revising the state-program monitoring and evaluation approach by requiring states to conduct internal audits and establishing more effective procedures to obtain state correction action on significant program issues. OSHA also implemented new activity measures incorporating absolute criteria and national goals where appropriate. OSHA is preparing to issue a report assessing the effectiveness of these measures for the first three quarters of fiscal year 1995.

OSHA has collected worksite-specific injury and illness data from employers and submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a program design for collecting the second year of these data for clearance and approval. The program design was published in the Federal Register on February 2, 1996, for public comment.

To assess the quality of the data maintained by employers, OSHA is implementing a records audit program to conduct 250 record audits each year. During June and July 1997, OSHA conducted a pilot test of an audit protocol at 9 sites in three different locations, and it plans to conduct two training sessions on the use of the audit software and the recordkeeping requirements in late 1997. By late 1997, OSHA expects to have completed 50 record audits.

OSHA officials continue to support extending its coverage to state and local government employees in non-state programs. However, the 104th Congress does not provide much support for extending OSHA coverage to state and local government. As such, agency officials reported that they are not taking any actions to promote coverage of public employers at this time. With respect to imminent dangers protection, agency officials believe they have sufficient authority to protect workers during imminent danger situations.