Law360, New York (November 21, 2012, 4:25 PM EST) -- The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's whistleblower protection program has named a former chairman of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board as its new director, officials said Wednesday.

Beth Slavet was with the Merit Systems Protection Board as a vice chairman, chairman and member from 1995 to 2003, OSHA said in a statement. She has spent the last decade working in private practice, focusing on issues related to whistleblower protection, privacy and Freedom of Information Act requests.

The announcement that Slavet will lead OSHA's whistleblower protection efforts comes as lawmakers have moved to expand protections for employees who blow the whistle on government fraud. The whistleblower program was restructured earlier this year and now reports directly to OSHA's head, signaling that enforcement of whistleblower statutes had become a greater priority to the agency.

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