Bituminous Insurance Companies
Release Date: December 23, 2009
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's)major projects for their Fall 2009 Regulatory Priorities are listed below:
Airborne Infectious Diseases - OSHA is interested in protecting the nation's 13 million healthcare workers from airborne infectious diseases. Most current infection control efforts are intended primarily for patient protection and not for worker protection. In March 2010, OSHA intends to publish a Request for Information to help examine how to improve worker protection from exposure to airborne diseases.
Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements (Musculoskeletal Disorders) - OSHA is proposing to revise its regulation on Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (Recordkeeping) to restore a column on the OSHA 300 Injury and Illness Log that employers will check when recording work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Cranes and Derricks - OSHA plans to issue a final rule in July 2010. The proposed new rule addresses electrocution hazards, crushing and struck-by hazards, overturning, and procedures for ensuring that the weight of the load is within the crane's rated capacity, and ensures that crane operators have the required knowledge and skills by requiring independent verification of operator ability.
Crystalline Silica - OSHA plans to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in July 2010. This rulemaking will update existing permissible exposure limits and establish additional provisions to protect workers from exposures to respirable crystalline silica dust.
Combustible Dust - OSHA does not have a comprehensive standard that addresses combustible dust hazards. They issued an advanced notice of rulemaking (ANPRM) in August 2009 and are holding a stakeholder meeting in December 2009.
Hazard Communication Standard - Global Harmonization System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals - OSHA is revising its Hazard Communication Standard to make it consistent with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). A hearing is scheduled for February 2010.
Beryllium - OSHA is developing a rule that would update the Permissible Exposure Limit and establish additional provisions to protect exposed workers. Currently, the agency is preparing to conduct a peer review of the health effects and risk assessments and plans on initiating the peer review in March 2010.
Diacetyl - OSHA is currently working on the proposed regulatory text and developing the health, risk and feasibility analysis. The Agency plans to initiate a peer review of the health effects and risk assessments in October 2010.
Walking / Working Surfaces - Subparts D & I - The agency plans to issue a proposal in March 2010 that will update OSHA's rules covering slip, trip, and fall hazards and establish requirements for personal fall protection systems.
For additional information on these priorities, go to http://www.osha.gov/dsg/2009regulatory-priorities.html.
For additional information on other OSHA priorities, go to http://www.reginfo.gov/public/.
COPYRIGHT ©2009, ISO Services Properties, Inc.
The information contained in this publication was obtained from sources believed to be reliable. ISO Services Properties, Inc., its companies and employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with either the information herein contained or the safety suggestions herein made. Moreover, it cannot be assumed that every acceptable safety procedure is contained herein or that abnormal or unusual circumstances may not warrant or require further or additional procedure.