David Keeling Confirmed As OSHA Chief: A New Era For Cooperation And Enhanced Occupational Safety? – Employee Rights/ Labour Relations

Seyfarth Synopsis: David
Keeling’s confirmation as OSHA Chief could give regulatory and
enforcement direction to OSHA when federal government funding is
restored, likely moving the agency towards enhanced collaboration
with industry and refocusing of enforcement priorities.

Senate Confirms Keeling

On October 6, 2025, as part of a larger confirmation of Trump
appointees, the Senate voted 51-47 to confirm as Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, officially
placing him at the helm of OSHA.

As we previously blogged, Mr. Keeling is a seasoned safety
professional with decades of experience at major logistics and
transportation employers in the private sector. His familiarity
with complex organizational safety programs positions him to lead
OSHA with a nuanced understanding of OSHA regulation and
enforcement in the context of the modern workplace.

On June 5, 2025, during his nomination hearing before the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Mr. Keeling
outlined his vision for the agency and policy priorities. He would
shift OSHA away from reactive enforcement and toward proactive
injury and illness prevention. He seeks to “greatly accelerate
the pace of modernization in the area of Regulatory Oversight and
Rulemaking,” emphasizing predictive analytics and informed
design to eliminate hazards before they cause harm.

Revitalized Cooperative Programs

Mr. Keeling has also pledged to revamp OSHA’s Voluntary
Protection Programs (VPP), which he views as underutilized tools
for achieving meaningful safety outcomes. “We must move beyond
existing silos and self-imposed barriers to achieve real
improvement,” he testified, signaling a renewed emphasis on
collaboration with employers and industry stakeholders.

Mr. Keeling’s cooperative tone stands in stark contrast to
the enforcement-heavy and confrontational posture of recent
Democratic administrations. Under Mr. Keeling, OSHA is expected to
prioritize industry alliances, data-driven safety strategies, and
employer-led initiatives that align with regulatory goals.

Workplace Violence and Heat Illness
Priorities

Mr. Keeling has signaled an interest in pursuing a new workplace
violence standard with employer input, as well as maintain
OSHA’s focus on heat illness. At this point it is unclear
whether that this renewed focus on heat illness will take the form
of formal rulemaking or revised emphasis programs.

Does Mr. Keeling Have the Resources to Chart a New Path
for OSHA?

Mr. Keeling’s confirmation ushers in a new chapter for
OSHA—one defined by modernization, employer collaboration,
and a data-informed approach to safety. As the agency recalibrates
under his leadership, employers should prepare for both opportunity
and change.

But any goals Mr. Keeling pursues will be limited by the context
of an agency and federal administrative state in a period of
significant cost reductions. He faces a currently shuttered federal
government, with the majority of OSHA staff furloughed and
unavailable to handle basic enforcement functions. When the
government does reopen, Mr. Keeling will be working with reduced
budgets and fewer human resources than the agency had in October
2024. It remains to be seen whether he will have the staff to
pursue his new vision for federal OSHA. But in any event, employers
can expect to see an OSHA agency less focused on punishing
employers and more focused on moving employers into a new era of
health and safety.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.