OSHA wants to collaborate with businesses, acting leader says

September 16, 2025

DENVER — By providing opportunities to reduce fines, enhance training and improve communication with employers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration aims for more collaboration rather than just enforcement.

The new message was expressed Tuesday by Amanda Wood Laihow, acting assistant secretary of labor for Occupational Safety and Health, who spoke at the National Safety Council Congress and Expo.

“We are taking a more balanced approach, one that values partnerships and strong compliance assistance as essential strategies alongside our traditional enforcement mission, and that’s exactly what our current vision reflects,” Ms. Wood Laihow said. “We want to offer support from the top down and remove barriers at every level so we can help businesses not only meet federal requirements, but also build stronger, more successful safety and health programs that don’t just check a box.”

Ms. Wood Laihow’s appearance, which included a Q&A session with National Safety Council President Lorraine Martin, comes two months after OSHA announced an expansion of the Voluntary Protection Programs, aimed at urging employers to undergo regular self-evaluations and avoid routine inspections, while reducing the likelihood of formal investigation or litigation.

In June, the agency announced it would send more interpretation letters, commonly referred to as “opinion letters” or “standard interpretations,” which provide specific guidance on federal labor laws and how they would apply to an employer’s business and workers.

It’s too early to gauge whether more employers are participating in the letters program, Ms. Wood Laihow said. That process includes feedback from OSHA officials and attorneys and is ongoing, she said. “If you have a question, write us. Ask us: ‘How do I comply with this? How does this hazard or the standard apply to me? I want to make sure I’m in compliance.’”

“Small and medium businesses that don’t necessarily have the knowledge or even the resources to hire private consultants or attorneys at the ready, they need to know that we’re there to help them to answer questions,” she said.

OSHA this summer began increased fine reductions for small employers who “immediately take steps to address and correct the hazard” after being cited, she said.

The agency’s latest mission is “about working more closely with small businesses, because they are the backbone of our economy, and often need additional support to keep workers safe,” Ms. Wood Laihow said.

Regarding the agency’s future, David Keeling, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head OSHA, “is in the final stages” of the Senate confirmation process, she said.