OSHA’s proposal to safeguard workers by reducing silica exposures disregards “the unique nature of roofing work” and may actually making roofers’ jobs more dangerous, according to the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA).

Maryland lawmakers introduced a bill this week that would require companies to meet safety standards as a prequalification for working on public projects in the state. House Bill 951 (with 22 sponsors) and Senate Bill 774 (with 13 sponsors) were introduced by Maryland Delegate Brian McHale (D-46) and Senator Karen Montgomery (D-14).

While federal regulatory action get the lion’s share of the attention, EHS professionals should pay even more attention to what happens at the state level, according to American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) government guru, Aaron K. Trippler, for a variety of reasons.

In the end, the question that must be answered is “will this proposal be better or worse for employee health and safety?” To this, AIHA believes the answer is a resounding “yes”, and AIHA supports OSHA efforts to move forward with the proposed rule.

ASSE commends OSHA for addressing this issue through rulemaking in an effort to further reduce the incidences of occupational illnesses such as silicosis and cancer in general industry, maritime and construction work. While some may debate the science underlying the findings set forth in the proposed rule, overexposure to crystalline silica has been linked to occupational illness since the time of the ancient Greeks, and reduction of the current permissible exposure limit (PEL) to that recommended for years by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is long overdue.