Biden Selects California Safety Chief Doug Parker to Lead OSHA

Article published in the National Grain and Feed Association April 16 newsletter.

By Jess McCluer
Senior vice president of safety and regulatory affairs

President Joe Biden announced April 9 that he intends to nominate Doug Parker (pictured at right) as the head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Parker, head of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) since 2019, has made a name for himself prioritizing workplace safety through aggressive enforcement tactics.

If confirmed by the Senate, Parker would fill a position that has been vacant since January 2017.

As the director of Cal/OSHA, Parker oversaw the development and adoption of California’s Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) addressing COVID-19 in the workplace.


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As a strong proponent of the ETS, he likely played a role in developing the federal OSHA draft standard that is currently being reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget.

The White House press release notes that Parker previously served in the Obama administration as deputy assistant secretary for policy in the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration and as a member of the Biden administration’s transition team focused on worker health and safety issues.

Prior to leading Cal/OSHA, Parker was executive director of Worksafe, a legal services provider, and spent time as a partner at the law firm Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy and Welch in Washington, D.C.

He began his legal career as a staff attorney at the United Mine Workers of America.


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