Parker Warns Shutdown Will ‘Severely Compromise’ OSHA Enforcement

OSHA chief Doug Parker used a Sept. 27 House hearing to warn lawmakers against an increasingly-likely government shutdown, arguing that a lapse in appropriations will hamstring the agency’s enforcement work including a new silica initiative, while also seeking to defend its regulatory agenda against attacks by Republican panel members. “A government shutdown followed by significant budget reductions would severely compromise our ability to protect workers and meet our congressional mandates. Workers across this country depend on OSHA to keep them...