OSHA Unified Agenda - [Prerule Stage]

Title: Emergency Response and Preparedness 

Abstract: Emergency responder health and safety is currently regulated primarily under the following standards: The fire brigade standard (29 CFR 1910.156); hazardous waste operations and emergency response (29 CFR 1910.120); the respiratory protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134); the permit-required confined space standard (29 CFR 1910.146); and the bloodborne pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). Some of these standards were promulgated decades ago and none were designed as comprehensive emergency response standards. Consequently, they do not address the full range of hazards or concerns currently facing emergency responders. Many do not reflect major changes in performance specifications for protective clothing and equipment. Current OSHA standards also do not reflect all the major developments in safety and health practices that have already been accepted by the emergency response community and incorporated into National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and American National Standards Institute consensus standards. OSHA will be collecting information to evaluate what action the agency should take. The Request for Information was published on September 11, 2007. 

Agency: Department of Labor(DOL) 

Priority: Other Significant 

RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda 

Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Prerule Stage 

Major: Undetermined 

Unfunded Mandates: Undetermined 

CFR Citation: 29 CFR 1910 (To search for a specific CFR, visit the Code of Federal Regulations.) 

Legal Authority: 29 USC 655(b); 29 USC 657 

Legal Deadline:  None

Timetable:

Action	Date	FR Cite
Request for Information	09/11/2007	72 FR 51735
Comment Period End	12/10/2007
Analyze Record	07/00/2008

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Undetermined 

Government Levels Affected: Undetermined 

Federalism: Undetermined 

Included in the Regulatory Plan: No 

RIN Data Printed in the FR: No 

Agency Contact:
Dorothy Dougherty
Director, Directorate of Standards and Guidance
Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue NW., FP Building, Room N3718,
Washington, DC 20210
Phone:202 693-1950
Fax:202 693-1678
Email: dougherty.dorothy@dol.gov