The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the primary federal authority for ensuring worker safety across U.S. industries, including printing. Over the past decade, OSHA’s priorities have been shaped by a series of political and regulatory shifts due primarily to the changes in administration. Under the current Trump administration, there is an emphasis on reducing regulatory burdens on businesses and emphasizing voluntary compliance over proactive enforcement.
The administration is focused on streamlining inspections, limiting new regulatory initiatives, and curtailing the expansion of safety standards, particularly those perceived as costly or duplicative for industry. These policies are intended to support economic growth and reduce compliance costs for employers.
Key OSHA Developments Affecting Printers
Unlike what occurred under the first Trump administration, there is now a leader at OSHA. David Keeling was confirmed by the Senate in October 2025. He brings an industry-oriented safety management background as he worked at Amazon and UPS as a safety executive.
During his confirmation hearing, he identified goals around modernization, data-driven enforcement, collaboration, and using consensus standards. Keeling laid out a comprehensive vision for OSHA that includes:
- Modernizing regulatory oversight and rulemaking, particularly through the use of predictive analytics and informed design to prevent injuries before they occur. He emphasized the importance of data-driven enforcement, aiming to shift OSHA’s focus from reactive compliance to proactive risk mitigation.
- Revitalizing OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), viewing them as underutilized tools for achieving meaningful safety outcomes.
- Promoting collaboration with employers, unions, and professional groups, breaking down silos to foster shared responsibility for workplace safety.
- Support for consensus standards, recognizing their rigor and adaptability compared to outdated regulations.
Keeling’s priorities also include addressing workplace violence and heat illness, with a commitment to engaging at-risk employers and employees before tragedies occur. Under this new approach OSHA will be prioritizing industries or individual companies with high-severity hazards and reducing routine inspections. This means that certain industrial sectors, including printing, now have an increased responsibility for self-managed hazard mitigation because a higher-than-average injury and illness rate will trigger an inspection.
Read the rest of this story on Printing Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
