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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information may be out of date.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)
today issued a number of corrections and clarifications to its final rules for
improving protection for millions of workers exposed to asbestos on the
job.
They will assist in compliance with the package of
standards for worker protection against asbestos exposures in general industry,
construction and shipyard employment that were issued Aug. 10, 1994. Those
standards will significantly reduce cancer deaths caused by asbestos
exposure.
Since the final rules were issued, technical and
typographical errors were discovered in both the preamble and regulatory text.
Members of the regulated public also asked OSHA to clarify or correct some
provisions.
All the corrections to the standards are deemed to be
minor amendments that are based on the existing rulemaking record and are not
intended to affect worker protection in a significant way.
The corrections include correction of typographical
errors; corrections that clarify OSHA's intent but do not change substantive
requirements imposed by the standards; and corrections intended to better carry
out the agency's intent when the standards were issued.
After the asbestos standards were issued, various parties
filed petitions asking that a number of the provisions of the standard be
reconsidered or clarified. OSHA has settled three such cases. The resulting
clarifications are included in this notice.
The asbestos standards took effect Oct. 11, 1994. A new
lower exposure limit of O.1 fibers per cubic centimeter (O.1 f/cc) was
effective on that date, 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 are being extended in a separate notice to Oct. 1, 1995.
The corrections and clarifications to the standards are
published in the June 29, 1995, Federal Register.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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