OSHA Announces Changes to Regional Operations Structure

The Department of Labor has announced changes to the structure of its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regional operations, aiming to direct resources more effectively. These changes include establishing a new OSHA regional office in Birmingham, Alabama, to oversee operations in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Florida Panhandle. The Birmingham Region will focus on addressing the needs of the growing worker population in the area, especially those in food processing, construction, heavy manufacturing, and chemical processing industries. Additionally, OSHA plans to merge Regions 9 and 10 into a new San Francisco Region to streamline operations and reduce costs.

As part of these changes, OSHA will rename its regions based on geographical locations instead of numerical assignments. For example, Region 4 will be renamed the Atlanta Region, with jurisdiction over Florida (excluding the Panhandle), Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Similarly, Region 6 will be renamed the Dallas Region, with jurisdiction over workplace safety issues in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

A map of the new regions can be found here.