OSHA published its spring semiannual regulatory agenda. It provides a list of all regulatory actions that are under active consideration by the agency.
Regulations of particular interest to metalcasters include:
Final rule on preventing slips, trips and falls which is scheduled for publication in August.
Beryllium continues to be in the proposed rule stage with no projected publication date listed.
Combustible Dust remains in the pre-rule stage, with a goal of a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel convening in October.
Clarification of Employer’s Continuing Obligation to Make and Maintain Accurate Records of Each Recordable Injury and Illness is in the final rule stage and OSHA anticipates issuing a final rule in October 2016. The proposed rule is meant to “clarify that the duty to make and maintain an accurate record of an injury or illness continues for as long as the employer must keep and make available records for the year in which the injury or illness occurred” and goes beyond the current six-month statute of limitations set out in the statute.
Quantitative Fit Testing Protocol: Amendment to the Final Rule on Respiratory Protection will allow for the incorporation of new fit test protocols into the code. The projected publication date is June.
Lock-out/Tag-out Update: Recent technological advancements that employ computer-based controls of hazardous energy (e.g., mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, chemical, radiation) conflict with OSHA's existing lock-out / tag-out standard. OSHA is expected to issue a request for information in September.
Chemical Management and Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs): On October 10, 2014, OSHA published a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit comment from the public on approaches it may take to reduce the risk of developing illness caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Revocation of Obsolete Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs): OSHA is initiating a new regulatory project to revoke a small number of obsolete permissible exposure limits (PELs) for chemicals contained in the 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1.
AFS will continue to monitor all of these regulatory items.