Date of Award

January 2014

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Safety, Security, and Emergency Management

First Advisor

E. Scott Dunlap

Department Affiliation

Safety, Security, and Emergency Management

Abstract

By asking the question "in what areas of 29 CFR 1960 are Federal Agency Program leaders deficient with regard to committing to their OSH programs;" this research project explored the commitment issue(s) Federal Agency Leaders encounter while administering their OSH programs. Since the inception of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and their revelation that management commitment is critical to OSH program success, senior leadership has struggled exercising this concept. Many safety professionals, such as those cited in the Literature Review of this study have also examined this issue. However, while many articles and peer-reviewed journals indicate there is a definite nexus between management commitment and OSH program effectiveness, none seem to identify those regulatory components senior leaders neglect or find challenging.

A twenty-three question survey was created and issued to leaders from two respective federal agencies. Questions focused on OSHA guidance regarding elements of a successful OSH program as prescribed by 29 CFR 1960. To aid in answering the research question, common themes were identified as areas that leaders barely focused on or blatantly ignored. Upon scrutinizing the data, there were several indications as to what the underlying causal factors are. Based on this data recommendations for corrective action were offered.

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