Uploaded October 2020 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
In February 1981 President Reagan announced that he would nominate Thorne G. Auchter to be the Assistant Secretary for OSHA. Auchter was the 35-year old executive vice president of Auchter Co., a family owned construction firm based in Jacksonville, Florida. He had served in President Reagan's 1980 election campaign. One of the main goals of the Administration of President Ronald Reagan, who came into office on January 20, 1981, was to provide industry with relief from the government regulation. OSHA was a prime target and Auchter became a principal agent in this work. President Reagan set up a program of Regulatory Relief shortly after his inauguration and made it one of the main elements of his economic program. Young and politically conservative, Auchter was a logical choice to head OSHA under the Reagan Administration. Secretary Donovan planned a sharp change in policy and direction at the Labor Department and needed people who were energetic and philosophically compatible with the President. Auchter did not bring great expertise to Washington either in workers' health or in government administration, but he was intelligent and motivated, as well as being an experienced corporate manager. Shortly after OSHA's startup in 1971 Auchter had been appointed by the governor of Florida to help draft legislation for an OSHA approved state plan. Auchter wound up drafting most of the bill himself. It was subsequently enacted but the state never followed through to establish a program. The principal overall change in OSHA that Auchter sought was the eradication of the "prevailing adversary spirit" among labor, management and government. Auchter also wanted to encourage the states to develop OSHA approved plans. Overall, he claimed to want a more effective administration of the law. The major factor that shaped OSHA's agenda during Thorne Auchter's administration was Regulatory Relief. Stemming originally from the "deregulation" movement of the mid 1970s, this Reagan Administration program sought to reform government regulations in order to encourage greater investment, production and employment. Thorne Auchter had to get off to as fast a start as possible after taking office on March 19, 1981. Three hours after he walked in the door he started making decisions on the fiscal 1982 budget. Regulatory Relief had already begun with a temporary "freeze" on the last minute Carter regulations. These included proposals to amend the hearing regulations and the cancer policy and to require the labeling of hazardous substances (the "right to know" proposal). To begin implementing the longer term aspects of Regulatory Relief, Auchter quickly appointed special "task groups" to study existing rules on lead, cotton dust and noise and to develop a new labeling proposal. For more on Thorne Auchter’s time heading OSHA, link to the DOL history at Thorne Auchter Administration, 1981-1984: "Oh, what a (regulatory) relief" dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/osha13auchter
In February 1981 President Reagan announced that he would nominate Thorne G. Auchter to be the Assistant Secretary for OSHA. Auchter was the 35-year old executive vice president of Auchter Co., a family owned construction firm based in Jacksonville, Florida. He had served in President Reagan's 1980 election campaign. One of the main goals of the Administration of President Ronald Reagan, who came into office on January 20, 1981, was to provide industry with relief from the government regulation. OSHA was a prime target and Auchter became a principal agent in this work. President Reagan set up a program of Regulatory Relief shortly after his inauguration and made it one of the main elements of his economic program. Young and politically conservative, Auchter was a logical choice to head OSHA under the Reagan Administration. Secretary Donovan planned a sharp change in policy and direction at the Labor Department and needed people who were energetic and philosophically compatible with the President. Auchter did not bring great expertise to Washington either in workers' health or in government administration, but he was intelligent and motivated, as well as being an experienced corporate manager. Shortly after OSHA's startup in 1971 Auchter had been appointed by the governor of Florida to help draft legislation for an OSHA approved state plan. Auchter wound up drafting most of the bill himself. It was subsequently enacted but the state never followed through to establish a program. The principal overall change in OSHA that Auchter sought was the eradication of the "prevailing adversary spirit" among labor, management and government. Auchter also wanted to encourage the states to develop OSHA approved plans. Overall, he claimed to want a more effective administration of the law. The major factor that shaped OSHA's agenda during Thorne Auchter's administration was Regulatory Relief. Stemming originally from the "deregulation" movement of the mid 1970s, this Reagan Administration program sought to reform government regulations in order to encourage greater investment, production and employment. Thorne Auchter had to get off to as fast a start as possible after taking office on March 19, 1981. Three hours after he walked in the door he started making decisions on the fiscal 1982 budget. Regulatory Relief had already begun with a temporary "freeze" on the last minute Carter regulations. These included proposals to amend the hearing regulations and the cancer policy and to require the labeling of hazardous substances (the "right to know" proposal). To begin implementing the longer term aspects of Regulatory Relief, Auchter quickly appointed special "task groups" to study existing rules on lead, cotton dust and noise and to develop a new labeling proposal. For more on Thorne Auchter’s time heading OSHA, link to the DOL history at Thorne Auchter Administration, 1981-1984: "Oh, what a (regulatory) relief" dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/osha13auchter
