Construction industry veteran Dean McKenzie has been appointed as the new director of OSHA’s Directorate of Construction. McKenzie was director of OSHA’s Office of Construction Services from 2012-2013, then became the deputy director in 2013, and has been the acting director since January 2016. McKenzie began his career in the steel mills of Gary, Ind., as a journeyman millwright in the mid-1970s. He has worked in construction, particularly in the industrial market, in Indiana, Florida, Colorado, and the Caribbean.
He has been a licensed general contractor, business owner, and project and operations manager. While working for OSHA, he has addressed fatalities in the communication tower industry, built a strong relationship with the Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, and taken a lead role in the Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction campaign.