The US Senate has confirmed David Keeling as the new head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to multiple news sources.
On 3 October, senators passed S. Res 412 with a 51-46 vote. The resolution included over 100 nominations, among them Wayne Palmer as head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Keeling, previously a safety executive at UPS and Amazon, had been awaiting Senate approval since the Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee endorsed his nomination in a 12-11 party-line vote on 26 June.
During his June confirmation hearing before the Senate HELP Committee, Keeling outlined three primary objectives for OSHA.
Modernisation of regulatory oversight and rulemaking
Keeling emphasised leveraging technology and predictive analytics to shift from “mere regulatory compliance and post-injury response to injury prevention and informed design.”
He advocated adopting global industry consensus standards, which he described as undergoing “more rigorous review, regular updating, and continuous improvement” than many of OSHA’s current rules. Neither his testimony nor written statements specified which standards would be prioritised.
Enhancing OSHA’s collaboration efforts
Keeling highlighted the importance of cooperation with professional organisations, businesses, and trade unions. “We all share the same goal,” he noted, “though we may differ on the best path to achieve it. We must break down existing silos and self-imposed barriers to drive meaningful progress.”
Updating voluntary protection programmes
Keeling proposed modernising OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programmes (VPP). “The current VPP framework is a foundation, but only a starting point. Significant work is needed to deliver successful outcomes,” he said.
Keeling’s confirmation marks a significant step for OSHA as it seeks to modernise and strengthen workplace safety initiatives.
