OSHA’s proposed Injury and Illness Prevention Program Standard was relegated to “long-term action” a few months ago, leading many stakeholders to infer the rule was no longer the top priority it had once been. Now that has been confirmed.

During a media session taking place after a Sept. 16 keynote address at the 2014 NSC Congress & Expo in San Diego, OSHA administrator David Michaels said other standards have become more important than the I2P2 rulemaking.

“As a standard right now, we think it’s going to be pretty complex to take on,” he said of I2P2. “We have a number of other priorities that we want to get through during this term.”

This is a change from Michaels’ characterization of I2P2 when he first came to OSHA and called the rulemaking his top priority. Now, according to the OSHA chief, the agency is more focused on silica and recordkeeping modernization.

Michaels said, however, that the agency is still focused on encouraging employers to “embrace the idea” of injury and illness prevention programs.

What are your thoughts? Do you feel it’s a mistake to put the proposed I2P2 standard on the back burner, or are you glad OSHA is focusing its rulemaking efforts in other areas? Let me know in the comments below.

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