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

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020).

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 Standard for Welding, Cutting, and Brazing (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart Q). The information collected is used by employers and workers whenever welding, cutting, and brazing are performed. The purpose of the information is to ensure that employers evaluate hazards associated with welding and ensure that adequate measures are taken to make the process safe.

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 Student Data Form (OSHA Form 182).

This notice announces the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's final decision expanding the recognition of SGS North America, Inc., formerly SGS U.S. Testing Company, Inc., as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory under 29 CFR 1910.7.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on September 3, 2010, proposing to amend its regulations for the federally-funded On-site Consultation Program to: Clarify, so it more directly reflects the wording of section 21(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, (OSH Act), the length of the exemption period provided to sites that have had their names removed from OSHA's Programmed Inspection Schedule; and to clarify the high priority enforcement cases when OSHA may initiate a non-programmed inspection at those sites that have achieved recognition and exemption status. The Agency has decided to withdraw the proposed rule.

OSHA is issuing a final rule amending the Basic Program Elements to require Federal agencies to submit their occupational injury and illness recordkeeping information to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and OSHA on an annual basis. The information, which is already required to be created and maintained by Federal agencies, will be used by BLS to aggregate injury and illness information throughout the Federal government. OSHA will use the information to identify Federal establishments with high incidence rates for targeted inspection, and assist in determining the most effective safety and health training for Federal employees. The final rule also interprets several existing basic program elements in our regulations to clarify requirements applicable to Federal agencies, amends the date when Federal agencies must submit to the Secretary of Labor their annual report on occupational safety and health programs, amends the date when the Secretary of Labor must submit to the President the annual report on Federal agency safety and health, and clarifies that Federal agencies must include uncompensated volunteers when reporting and recording occupational injuries and illnesses.

ACCSH will meet August 22-23, 2013, in Washington, DC.

This notice announces the application of SGS North America, Inc., for expansion of its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory by the addition of one test site and the removal of one test site. This notice presents the Agency's preliminary finding to grant this request. This notice also announces a voluntary modification of the NRTL scope of recognition of SGS North America, Inc., and formally reflects the name change from SGS U.S. Testing Company, Inc. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of this application.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (``OSHA'' or ``the Agency'') proposes to update its general industry and construction signage standards by adding references to the latest versions of the American National Standards Institute (``ANSI'') standards on specifications for accident prevention signs and tags, ANSI Z535.1-2006(R2011), Z535.2-2011, and Z535.5-2011. OSHA also is proposing to retain the existing references to the earlier ANSI standards, ANSI Z53.1-1967, Z35.1-1968, and Z35.2-1968, in its signage standards, thereby providing employers an option to comply with the updated or earlier standards. In addition, OSHA is proposing to incorporate by reference Part VI of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (``MUTCD''), 1988 Edition, Revision 3, into the incorporation-by-reference section of the construction standards, having inadvertently omitted this edition of the MUTCD from this section during an earlier rulemaking, and amend citations in two provisions of the construction standards to show the correct incorporation-by-reference section. In addition, OSHA is publishing a direct final rule in today's Federal Register adding the same references.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Standard on Asbestos in General Industry (29 CFR 1910.1001).

In this notice, OSHA announces the application of Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc. for expansion of its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory and presents the Agency's preliminary finding to grant the application and request. Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc. requests the addition of two new sites and for OSHA to remove a special condition of its recognition that involves testing hazardous-location equipment. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of the application and request.

OSHA published a direct final rule and a companion notice of proposed rulemaking on November 9, 2012, to broaden the exemption for digger derricks in its construction standard for cranes and derricks. OSHA received a significant adverse comment on the direct final rule during the comment period, and as a result, OSHA withdrew the direct final rule on February 7, 2013. After considering this comment, OSHA is issuing this final rule based on the notice of proposed rulemaking.

The Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH) will meet on June 6, 2013, in Washington, DC. This Federal Register notice also announces the appointment of seven individuals to serve on FACOSH.

This notice announces availability of approximately $1.5 million for Susan Harwood Training Program grants under the following categories: Targeted Topic Training and Targeted Topic Training and Educational Materials Development.

On August 17, 2012, OSHA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, as well as a companion direct final rule, that proposed applying the requirements in OSHA's 2010 cranes and derricks construction standard to underground construction work and demolition work. The notice of proposed rulemaking also proposed to correct inadvertent errors in the underground construction and demolition standards. After receiving a comment recommending that OSHA clarify the proposed regulatory text of the demolition standard, OSHA clarified the text and is issuing this final rule to apply the cranes and derricks standard to underground construction work and demolition work.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Presence Sensing Device Initiation (PSDI) Standard (29 CFR 1910.217(h)).

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 its Standard on Derricks (29 CFR 1910.181).

Since 1973, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has granted permanent variances to a number of chimney- construction companies from the provisions of the OSHA standards that regulate boatswain's chairs and hoist towers, specifically paragraph (o)(3) of 29 CFR 1926.452 and paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(4), (c)(8), (c)(13), (c)(14)(i), and (c)(16) of 29 CFR 1926.552. These variances use temporary personnel-hoisting systems to transport workers to and from worksites in a personnel cage while constructing tapered chimneys using formwork techniques and procedures. Recently, the Agency received applications from 15 employers for a variance addressing chimney and chimney-related construction that, like the previous variances, propose to use temporary personnel-hoisting systems to transport workers to and from worksites in a personnel cage. These variance applications, however, included conditions that address construction of chimneys and chimney-related structures using temporary hoisting systems and procedures in association with two different methods of construction (i.e., formwork and slip-form construction) and two different structural configurations (i.e., tapered and straight-barreled). OSHA consolidated these variance applications into a single application for publication in this Federal Register notice. OSHA invites the public to submit comments on this variance application to assist the Agency in determining whether to grant the companies a permanent variance based on the conditions specified in this application.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Benzene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1028).

This document provides the interim final regulations governing the employee protection (whistleblower) provision of section 1558 of the Affordable Care Act, which added section 18C of the Fair Labor Standards Act, to provide protections to employees of health insurance issuers or other employers who may have been subject to retaliation for reporting potential violations of the law's consumer protections (e.g., the prohibition on denials of insurance due to pre-existing conditions) or affordability assistance provisions (e.g., access to health insurance premium tax credits). This interim rule establishes procedures and time frames for the handling of retaliation complaints under section 18C, 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.

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 Walking and Working Surfaces Standard for General Industry (29 CFR part 1910, subpart D).

OSHA published a direct final rule and a companion notice of proposed rulemaking on November 9, 2012, to broaden the exemption for digger derricks in its construction standard for cranes and derricks. OSHA received a significant adverse comment on the direct final rule and is, therefore, withdrawing the direct final rule. OSHA will issue a final rule at a later date based on the notice of proposed rulemaking.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Standard on 4,4'- Methylenedianiline for General Industry (29 CFR 1910.1050).

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its request for an extension of the information collection requirements specified in its standards on Electrical Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.137) and Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (29 CFR 1910.269).

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to revise the information collection requirements currently approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for handling of retaliation complaints filed with OSHA under various whistleblower protection statutes and the procedural regulations described in this notice. These regulations contain procedures employees must use to file a complaint with OSHA alleging that their employer violated a whistleblower protection provision contained in certain statutes that generally prohibit retaliatory action by employers against employees who engage in activities protected by the statutes. The revised information collection requirements include a new form providing additional methods for employees to submit retaliation complaints to OSHA, including electronic submission.