Proposed FY 19 OSHA Budget Allocation Same as This Year

Safety + Health magazine is reporting that the Trump administration’s budget proposal for fiscal 2019 allocates approximately $549 million for the OSHA budget, unchanged from the current fiscal year.
The federal fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30; fiscal 2019 begins Oct. 1, 2018.
According to Safety + Health, the proposed OSHA budget includes funding for new full-time equivalent workers. Forty-two of those new FTEs would be added to OSHA’s contingent of compliance officers, while 32 are headed for roles in compliance assistance, outreach, and the agency’s voluntary protection programs.
Staffing increases will be funded by a $5.1 million proposed increase in OSHA’s enforcement budget and a $3 million proposed bump for compliance assistance.
Notable items slated for elimination in the fiscal 2019 budget include the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, which provides training for workers and employers on workplace safety and health hazards, responsibilities, and rights.
Also on the chopping block is the Chemical Safety Board, an independent U.S. federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents.