Arizona's Biggs Tries Again to Abolish OSHA

U.S. Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) has introduced a new bill aimed at eliminating OSHA.
His “Nullify Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act,” or “NOSHA Act,” was referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce for consideration.
He previously sought to abolish the federal agency in 2021.
At that time, he said “OSHA’s existence is yet another example of the federal government creating agencies to address issues that are more appropriately handled by state governments and private employers.”
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Lawyers at Ogletree Deakins said in a Feb. 4 blog post that President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 presidential memorandum, “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” applies to a broad range of OSHA activity.
They said that OSHA’s “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention” and “Emergency Response Standard” rulemaking, are “squarely within the parameters of this executive action.
“Neither of these proposals was expected to survive the change in administrations resulting from the 2024 presidential election,” they said.
However, they noted that Trump’s directive will not directly impact several other OSHA rulemakings, including the “Prevention of Workplace Violence in Healthcare and Social Assistance” and the so-called “Walkaround Rule,” as well as the recent Hazard Communication Standard updates.
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Recently updated academic research that analyzed injury and illness data from publicly held companies found that those with fewer independent directors on their boards had more than 4 additional work-related injury and illness cases per 100 full-time employees per year than companies with more independent directors.
Those with independent directors showed notable increases in safety investments relative to total assets and sales.
Also, those companies were more likely to incorporate safety-related benchmarks into CEO compensation contracts.
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