Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/842358
palletcentral.com PalletCentral • May-June 2017 17 as best they can in the face of shifting political directions, and truly care about protecting the safety and health of workers. The impact of their work on employer's bottom lines is not viewed as a statutory obligation under the OSH Act of 1970. Until they are specifically told "STOP" by a new OSHA assistant secretary or as the result of an executive order or congressional action, the agency is largely self- perpetuating. Research projects are funded, rules and guidance are developed, outreach occurs, and, of course, inspections, accident investigations, complaint enforcement and OSHA litigation continue. Congress had a chance to direct OSHA's action, by placing riders or other instructions and funding constraints on specific types of activities, when an omnibus funding bill was enacted, to keep the government running from April 28 (when the old short-term bill expired) through September 30, 2017 (the end of FY 2017). Basically, it punted and a clean bill was enacted, without any provisions affecting ongoing OSHA activities, that maintains OSHA funding at roughly the same levels and apportionments by program as was in place in the final year of the Obama administration. So, in the short term, little changes … or does it? OSHA has already made a number of changes that are likely to be viewed favorably by the new Administration. For starters, it has