A prolonged government shutdown could affect the rulemaking process of OSHA’s recently proposed OSHA silica rule in a number of ways, according to Aaron Trippler, Government Affairs Director for the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).
As the U.S. government remains locked in a stalemate – with a Pew poll showing that the GOP is getting most of the blame for the shutdown – disapproval of all politicians has hit an all-time low, with Congress earning an approval rating of only ten percent.
According to the Workplace Safety Awareness Council, in an effort to limit electrical injuries in the workplace, OSHA has passed a law that only allows a “Qualified” person to work on or around energized circuits or equipment.
Seventeen scientists who launched a high profile attack on plans in Europe to regulate endocrine-disrupting chemicals have past or current ties to regulated industries. An investigation by Environmental Health News (EHN) revealed that of 18 toxicology journal editors who signed a controversial editorial, 17 have worked with or for the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, tobacco, pesticide or biotechnology industries.
OSHA’s deadline for training workers on its updated Hazard Communication standard is looming large. The agency is requiring that workers be trained by Dec. 1 on the new label elements and safety data sheets (SDS).
Findings back OSHA’s new proposed silica exposure rule
October 4, 2013
A newly published study of Chinese tin and pottery workers has found that exposure to airborne silica dust is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing lung cancer.
The EPA is finalizing a rule that will allow the agency to restrict imports of potentially harmful perfluorinated chemicals that could be used in carpets. The regulation will require companies to report to EPA all new uses, including in domestic and imported products, of these chemicals once used for soil and stain resistance in carpets.
Manufacturers will have to find safer alternatives
October 3, 2013
While efforts to reform the federal Toxic Chemicals Safety Act continue to inch slowly forward, the state of California has taken a bold regulatory leap into controlling toxic chemicals – at least those found in consumer products.
No, they didn’t turn off the lights and locked the doors. The show definitely goes on, and when you’re inside the expo or attending education sessions, the ugly world of federal government shutdowns seems far far away.