Composites manufacturers are expressing concern that OSHA has not adequately assessed the economic and technological feasibility of its proposed new crystalline silica control measures as they would apply to the industry, and are asking the agency to conduct an industry-specific study -- followed by allowing 90 days for businesses to respond to the assessment -- before moving toward a final rule.
Business interests see little chance of OSHA promulgating a final rule tackling respirable crystalline silica exposures before the end of President Obama's second term.
Health and safety advocates are pushing OSHA to toughen its newly proposed crystalline silica standards, even as industry complains that aspects of the planned rule are too strict.
Several construction industry trade groups are banding together to seek key changes to OSHA's newly released proposed rule tackling crystalline silica exposures, and hope to discuss with OSHA its scientific rationale for the proposed exposure level as well as the construction-specific control measures.
Industry stakeholders affected by OSHA's proposed rule tackling crystalline silica exposures will almost certainly seek an extension of the 90-day comment period set out under the rulemaking, sources tell Inside OSHA Online.
Organized labor will closely examine worker training provisions OSHA wrote into its proposed standards to reduce occupational exposure to crystalline silica, a source knowledgeable about the issue says.
OSHA has floated several “regulatory alternatives” to its proposed new standards to reduce worker exposures to crystalline silica, offering industry and other stakeholders a chance to justify other options in reaching the goals of the rulemaking.
Some safety and health stakeholders argue that cost-benefit data included in OSHA's newly proposed crystalline silica standard show undue pressure on the agency to conduct economic analyses of new regulations that ultimately do not factor into whether it moves forward with key rulemaking priorities.
Industry sources say OSHA's newly released proposed rule to reduce worker exposures to crystalline silica, given its breadth across business sectors and the reach of the standard, could represent the biggest OSHA proposed regulation in terms of impact on business since the agency's abortive effort to regulate ergonomic hazards in the late 1990s.
OSHA released its long-awaited proposed rule tackling crystalline silica exposures on Friday (Aug. 23), rolling out a comprehensive regulation that if eventually adopted would cut the permissible exposure limit to 50 micrograms of respirable crystalline silica per cubic meter and take broad measures to limit worker exposures across industries.