b'100% REDUCTIONPILOT V UIIn another move to implement President Clin Careful pilotall testing is a critical element in ton\'s efforts to reinvent government, the Occu of the agency\'s reinvention efforts, Dear says. I l l pational Safety and Health AdministrationOSHA is committed to experimenting with difz(OSHA) will test a system that would reduceferent strategies to meet its mission of reducpenalties for employers with excellent safetying injuries, illnesses and fatalities across the uand health programs.of Labor for Occupa nation."tremendous gap" between the Assistant SecretaryDear cited a ztional Safety and Health Joseph A. Dear says,agency\'s mission, to make the 6 million Ameri"The new OSHA promises a departure fromcan workplaces as safe and healthful as possiany \'one-size-fits-all\' regulatory approach thatble for more than 90 million workers, and the treats all workplaces and all hazards equally. Inresources available to do the jobabout $305 : I issuing penalties for safety and health viola million in the current year. A new penalty policy tions. we will treat employers who implementthat emphasizes partnership and encouragesto Cgood safety and health programs differentlysafety and health programs, he said, will help from those who fail to make such efforts."close that gap. The test will involve revisions designed toA good safety and health program generally achieve penalty application goals described inincludes management leadership; employee President Clinton\'s May 1995 Performanceparticipation; analysis ofte to identify the worksiReview report "The New OSHA:Reinventingsafety and health hazards; effective elimination ClWorker Safety and Health."It will be con orof the hazards; and safety and health control ducted in six OSHA area offices in:Harrisburg,training. mPa.; Austin, Texas.; Billings. Mont.; Cincinnati;Ed. Note: Developing a Health andat the Safety Atlanta (East); and Atlanta (West) startingPlan will be a topic of conversation during the August 1 and will run until November 15.Health andEducational Program Safety UI"Our goal, as always, is to increase work Annual MRCA Convention and Trade Show.W place safety and health, and help ease theThe program will be held on Thursday, Oct. 24 0adversarial relationship between business andfrom 2:30 - 3:55 p.m. regulators," Dear says."The primary responsibility for ensuring safety and health will be in the hands of managers and workers at individual worksites. The pilot will test whether these policies will help achieve that goal." OSHA wants its penalty policy to provide: ,, Increased penalty reductions for smaller employers . . Better incentives for employers to implement good safety and health programs. ,, Little change from present penalties for average-sized employers with average programs-Serious consequences for serious violators. ,, Penalties adequate for deterrence. With the pilot test, OSHA hopes to learn how well the proposed changes achieve the objectives; if the system works for compliance officers, and ifsystem makes sense to the employers. During the same period, the six area offices will also be pilot testing the new Program Evaluation Profile PEP), used to assess employer safety and health programs in general industry workplaces. 6'