OSHA issues direct final rule for Acetylene Standard

Washington – OSHA on Dec. 5 published a direct final rule updating its Acetylene Standard (1910.102) to align it with a consensus standard. It is scheduled to go into effect March 5.

The standard was last updated less than three years ago. That update went into effect Nov. 9, 2009, and included references to a Compressed Gas Association standard, CGA G-1-2003. However, the 2009 revised rule did not include CGA’s latest edition, CGA G-1-2009, which was published in June 2009 and was not available to OSHA at the time the agency was preparing the final rule.

Based on comments OSHA received suggesting the agency reference the 2009 edition, OSHA published the final rule to remove CGA G-1-2003 from the existing standard and replace it with CGA-G-1-2009.

The direct final rule was published simultaneously with an identical notice of proposed rulemaking. If OSHA receives “significant adverse comment” regarding the direct final rule, it would proceed instead with the NPRM. If no such comments are received by Jan. 4, the agency will withdraw the NPRM and proceed with the final rule.