Occupational Safety and Health Administration March 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

ACCSH will hold a special meeting April 25-26, 2016, in Washington, DC, to draft a construction version of OSHA's planned Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is amending its existing standards for occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica. OSHA has determined that employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica at the previous permissible exposure limits face a significant risk of material impairment to their health. The evidence in the record for this rulemaking indicates that workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica are at increased risk of developing silicosis and other non-malignant respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and kidney disease. This final rule establishes a new permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms of respirable crystalline silica per cubic meter of air (50 [mu]g/m\3\) as an 8-hour time- weighted average in all industries covered by the rule. It also includes other provisions to protect employees, such as requirements for exposure assessment, methods for controlling exposure, respiratory protection, medical surveillance, hazard communication, and recordkeeping. OSHA is issuing two separate standardsone for general industry and maritime, and the other for constructionin order to tailor requirements to the circumstances found in these sectors.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend and revise the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Standard on Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous Chemicals.

This document provides the interim final text of regulations governing the employee protection (retaliation or whistleblower) provisions of section 31307 of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21 or the Act). This rule establishes procedures and time frames for the handling of retaliation complaints under MAP- 21, including procedures and time frames for employee complaints to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), investigations by OSHA, appeals of OSHA determinations to an administrative law judge (ALJ) for a hearing de novo, hearings by ALJs, review of ALJ decisions by the Administrative Review Board (ARB) (acting on behalf of the Secretary of Labor) and judicial review of the Secretary's final decision. It also sets forth the Secretary's interpretations of the MAP-21 whistleblower provision on certain matters.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the information collection requirement specified in its Standard on Dipping and Coating Operations (Dip Tanks) (29 CFR 1910.126(g)(4)).

In this notice, OSHA grants a permanent variance to Traylor Bros., Inc., from the provisions of OSHA standards that regulate work in compressed-air environments at 29 CFR 1926.803.

In this notice, OSHA announces its final decision to expand the scope of recognition for Quality Auditing Institute, Ltd. as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Standard for General Industry (29 CFR part 1910, subpart I).