DOL Stance On Federal Worker PELs May Be Revealed In Imminent Report To White House

The Labor Department will soon reveal whether it will ask President Obama to issue an executive order updating permissible exposure limits (PELs) at federal work sites. An advisory group to DOL on federal worker safety and health issues has sought such an executive order, which is seen by some OSHA stakeholders as potentially pushing forward the issue of updating PELs in the private sector. “This is now being finalized,” OSHA chief David Michaels, referring to a DOL report to the White House. The Labor secretary's report to the White House is expected to be out very soon, Michaels told members