LogFAQs > #983915276

I don't know much about OSHA. It seems relatively small and effective from the outside, but I have no real idea.

In general, federal departments like that and USDA, EPA, FDA, etc are prone to regulatory capture and executive takeover, and thus are very weak and ineffective for their actual stated purpose. (e.g. EPA exists to provide legal protection to corps who produce "small" pollution, which would normally be a property damage lawsuit.) It's better to have independent organizations regulate industries, like the Professional Engineer license or IEEE (which also helps create global standards instead of US-specific ones). I wonder what rules truly are OSHA-specific and not also enforced by the various independent orgs. There CAN be an advantage to a federal department in terms of funding and legal use of violence, but in practice there's just too much executive abuse and political hostage-taking involved.

During Trump's first term I really hoped people would better understand the danger of executive departments, but it didn't happen at all. Liberals only wanted more concentrated power in the federal executive branch. More power to hand to the current admin. And if we get through this, they still won't have learned a thing. They will always plan like no Democrat will ever lose an election ever again. So the next despot who wins will be even worse.