Occupational Safety and Health Administration February 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announces that OMB extended approval for information collection requirements found in OSHA's standards and its regulations on the Student Data Form and Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form outlined in this notice. OSHA sought approval of these requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), and, as required by that Act, is announcing the approval numbers and expiration dates for these requirements and regulations.

In this notice, OSHA announces the application of IAPMO Ventures, LLC dba IAPMO EGS for expansion of recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's preliminary finding to grant the application.

In this notice, OSHA announces the application of Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, Inc. for expansion of the scope of recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's preliminary finding to grant the application.

OSHA is proposing through this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to modify the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to conform to the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Revision 7 (GHS, Rev. 7), to address issues that arose during the implementation of the 2012 update to the HCS, and provide better alignment with other U.S. agencies and international trading partners, without lowering overall protections of the standard. OSHA has preliminarily determined that the proposed revisions to the HCS will reduce costs and burdens while also improving the quality and consistency of information provided to employers and employees regarding chemical hazards and associated protective measures. Consistent with the Executive order entitled ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review'' (January 18, 2011) and section 3(a) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which call for assessment and, where appropriate, modification and improvement of existing rules to minimize any significant economic impact upon a substantial number of small entities, OSHA has reviewed the existing HCS. The agency has preliminarily determined that the proposed revisions will enhance the effectiveness of the HCS by ensuring employees are appropriately apprised of the chemical hazards to which they may be exposed, thus reducing the incidence of chemical-related occupational illnesses and injuries. The proposed modifications to the standard include revised criteria for classification of certain health and physical hazards, revised provisions for updating labels, new labeling provisions for small containers, technical amendments related to the contents of safety data sheets (SDSs), and related revisions to definitions of terms used in the standard.

On January 14, 2020, the Secretary of Labor appointed four members to serve on NACOSH.

In this notice, OSHA announces the applications of TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc., for expansion of the scope of recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's preliminary finding to grant the applications.

The Department of Labor (Department or DOL) is correcting a direct final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on January 11, 2021, ``Rules of Practice and Procedure Concerning Filing and Service and Amended Rules Concerning Filing and Service.'' The companion proposed rule to the final rule was published in the same issue of the Federal Register. The final rule required electronic filing (e-filing) and made acceptance of electronic service (e-service) automatic for attorneys and non-attorney representatives representing parties in proceedings before the Administrative Review Board, unless the Board authorized non-electronic filing and service for good cause. Among other changes, the final rule was intended to revise several sections of the Code of Federal Regulations. However, the final rule as published inadvertently omitted amendatory instructions to revise two section headings, despite providing revised language for those headings. This document provides the omitted amendatory instructions to ensure that these two section headings are revised as written in the final rule.