Yesterday, we reported that the Department of Labor (DOL) had delayed its long-contemplated and anticipated fiduciary rule to January of next year. In the same revised regulatory agenda, the department also delayed another long-heralded and anticipated program, the injury and illness prevention program (I2P2), seemingly past the time Barack Obama will still be in office.
Long the pet of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) chief David Michaels, I2P2 would formalize requirements for employers to find and correct hazards and health threats in their workplaces. The proposal was to be presented to a small business review panel, according to last year's regulatory agenda, but on this year's May 23 revision, I2P2 has been moved to the long-term actions section of the agenda, with no date for any review or other action.
Celeste Monforton, a former OSHA policy analyst and now a lecturer at George Washington University School of Public Health, told Bloomberg Business News that this action means I2P2 will be dead on arrival for the remainder of the Obama administration.
“When the administration came in, David Michaels, Joe Main [assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health] and Seth Harris [former deputy secretary of labor] all talked about this as the key way to prevent injuries and illnesses," Monforton said. "So the fact that they've abandoned that approach is extremely disappointing. For them to abandon it, I'm sure that was not an easy decision for David Michaels to make.”