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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
announced today it is extending the start-up dates of most provisions of the
new asbestos standards until Oct. 1 to give the public more time to implement
compliance.
Various affected parties had requested additional time for
compliance. OSHA also will soon publish a notice of corrections and
clarifications to the standards and various compliance and training materials
to help understand the asbestos standards.
Exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and
other diseases. Nearly 4 million workers are protected by the new standards,
which are expected to prevent about 42 cancer deaths per year.
The asbestos standards improve protection for workers in
general industry, construction and shipyard employment who are exposed to
asbestos on the job.
The asbestos standards were issued Aug. 10, 1994. A new
lower exposure limit of O.1 fibers per cubic centimeter (O.1 f/cc) was
effective on Oct. 11, 1994, but provisions covering medical surveillance,
respiratory protection, employee training and engineering control requirements
had start-up dates from Jan. 9, 1995, to April 10, 1995. Dates for those
provisions were later extended to July 10, 1995, and are now being further
extended to Oct. 1, 1995.
Until that date requirements under the preexisting
standards will remain in effect for these provisions.
The specific provisions whose dates are being extended to
Oct. 1, 1995, include the following:
For the general industry standard--initial monitoring,
regulated area, methods of compliance, respiratory protection, hygiene
facilities, communication of hazards and medical surveillance.
For the shipyard standard--methods of compliance,
respiratory protection, hygiene facilities, communication of hazards,
housekeeping, medical surveillance and qualified person.
For the construction standard--methods of compliance,
respiratory protection, hygiene facilities, communication of hazards,
housekeeping, medical surveillance and competent person.
Notice of the changes in start-up dates appeared in the
Wednesday, June 28, 1995, Federal Register.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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