David Baker Email & Phone Number

Worked fulltime for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 31 years. During this time, I worked as a Compliance Officer, Voluntary Protection Program manager and Area Director. For fifteen years of my career, I was a compliance officer, conducting approximately 950 onsite inspections of employers to ensure they complied with all applicable safety and health regulations. These inspections were primarily conducted in construction, general industry, and maritime employment. In addition to regular inspections, I conducted in depth investigation of accidents, fatalities, and catastrophes, to determine root causes and to help prevent recurrence. For five years I managed the Region X OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). The program recognizes employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below national average for their industry. Its focus on the development of a safety and health system based on the following principles of hazard prevention and control; worksite analysis; training; and management commitment and worker involvement. For a site to qualify under the program they must undergo a rigorous onsite evaluation by a team of safety and health professionals who then recommend participation in the program. Culminating my career, I was the Area Director for the Washington Area Office for 11 years where I supervised a staff of three safety and health professionals in the enforcement of the occupational safety and health act. This staff was responsible for conducting inspections of workplaces to ensure compliance with the OSH Act. Either directly through inspections or through supervision of staff I have been involved in over 3000 workplace safety and health inspections. Part of my duties included the oversight of the Washington State Plan program. This oversight included overseeing of the State’s performance indicators for the program, review of new state safety and health standards and evaluation of the effectiveness of the state consultation program.

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