We are now just one week away from one of the least covered, yet somewhat controversial hearings that is scheduled to take place this year. It’s no surprise that the nomination of Scott A. Mugno to be the Assistant Secretary of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health has remained in the shadows considering the barrage of weekly news stories surrounding just about everything the Trump administration does.

Nonetheless, this is huge news for those of us in the safety industry. As we discussed in our previous article, Mr. Mugno would bring serious change to the direction OSHA heads in 2018. He would be filling a position that has been empty since Dr. David Michaels left the Agency on January 10, 2017.

The Senate has now scheduled its hearing on the Mugno nomination for next week, Tuesday, December 5, 2017. Interested parties may watch the hearing live through the Senate’s website link.

Mr. Mugno is the former Vice President for Safety, Sustainability and Vehicle Maintenance at FedEx Ground.  If he is confirmed, experts anticipate that Mr. Mugno will redirect the Agency’s efforts away from David Michael’s hard emphasis on enforcement. Rather, it is expected that he will implement measures designed to improve workplace safety through cooperative compliance programs such as the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

This would mean more responsibility for companies to handle workplace safety. However, it would also mean more freedom for companies to try new and innovative safety management solutions. 

For more information on Mr. Mugno’s nomination and other safety news, check out Sospes.com in the coming week.