U.S. Senate Confirms Appointment of OSHA and MSHA Directors
The U.S. Senate confirmed David Keeling as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and Wayne Palmer as head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MHSA) on Oct. 3, coinciding with the third day of the federal government shutdown.
Keeling is an experienced safety executive. He was most recently director of global road and transportation at Amazon. Previously, he was vice president of global health and safety at UPS. Priorities for the agency that Keeling cited during his nomination hearing include:
- Leveraging technology, data, and consensus standards
- Strengthening cooperation among stakeholders
- Updating OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs
- Using predictive approaches to prevent injuries and fatalities
Palmer served on President Trump’s transition team in the Department of Labor and as executive vice president of the Essential Minerals Association, a trade group. During the first Trump administration he was interim MSHA Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary. He is expected to follow the Trump administration’s agenda on deregulation and efficiency.
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