The argument about whether the government can require employers to have an injury and illness prevention program is moot in nearly a third of the country.

During a recent presentation at a safety and health summit in Omaha, NE, OSHA administrator David Michaels noted that 15 states mandate some form of a prevention program. (See map below.)

Considering the thousands of employers who are already required to have an injury and illness prevention program, and the thousands more who do so voluntarily, perhaps stakeholders and interest groups should work with OSHA on how to best draft and implement such a requirement on a national level instead of debating the regulation’s merits.

After all, if populous states such as California and New York – which combined make up nearly a fifth of the total U.S. labor force – and bastions of conservatism such as Arizona and Louisiana deem it necessary to have an I2P2 rule on the books, it’s probably a good idea for the rest of the country.

States that mandate some form of injury and illness prevention program

Source: OSHA

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