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OSHA News Release: [12/30/2004]
Contact Name: Frank
Meilinger
Phone Number: (202) 693-1999
OSHA to Issue Final Rule on
Standards Improvement Process
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) will publish a final rule in the Jan. 5, 2005,
Federal Register on the second phase of its standards improvement project. The
project addresses inconsistent, duplicative or outdated provisions in OSHA's
safety and health standards for general industry, maritime and construction.
"These changes will reduce the regulatory burdens on employers while
maintaining the safety and health protections afforded to employees," said OSHA
Administrator John Henshaw. "These burdens produce no safety and health value
and once eliminated will reduce annual costs by more than $6.8 million. That's
a winning combination for us all."
The final rule revises or eliminates medical provisions in older
standards that were once considered accepted practice, but have since been
deemed obsolete or unnecessary in current medical practice. For example, annual
rather than semi-annual medical examinations will now be required for long-term
employees exposed to inorganic arsenic, coke oven emissions, and vinyl
chloride.
In addition, the final rule eliminates reporting requirements that have
failed to benefit employee health. For example, employers will no longer have
to notify OSHA of all workplace releases for certain specified carcinogens. In
addition, while employers are still required to establish regulated work areas
for vinyl chloride, inorganic arsenic, acrylonitrile, and for the 13 known
occupational carcinogens, they will no longer be required to notify OSHA each
time they do so.
The final rule updates chemical exposure provisions by making them
consistent in terms of the frequency of monitoring and the manner of employee
notification of monitoring results.
Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace
for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of
America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training,
outreach, and education; establishing partnerships, and encouraging continual
improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit
www.osha.gov.
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