Silica

This time next year, the nation will be electing a new president, who could move OSHA in a different direction. What can the agency accomplish in the remaining months of the Obama administration? OSHA-watchers weigh in.

Washington – Although the number of silicosis deaths has declined in the past decade, the occupational lung disease still kills about 100 people every year, according to a new study from NIOSH.

Washington – OSHA will be forced to conduct additional reviews and research before updating its Silica Standard, under a funding bill that passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee June 25.

Washington – A simple solution could allow construction workers to reduce their exposure to crystalline silica when cutting fiber-cement siding, according to NIOSH.

Washington – Several final and proposed OSHA rules – including a long-delayed update to the beryllium rule – are expected to be published in the next few months, according to the agency’s spring regulatory agenda, released May 21.

Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez tells congressional critics that OSHA must strike a balance between compliance assistance and enforcement.

Arlington, VA – OSHA’s proposed silica standard will cost employers billions of dollars more than the agency has estimated, according to a report from the Construction Industry Safety Coalition.

Washington – Stringent regulations from agencies such as OSHA could increase employer costs without improving safety, employers testified March 18 during a hearing before the House Small Business Committee.

Washington – Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez defended OSHA’s forthcoming silica standard to members of the House during a March 17 hearing convened by the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Washington – Employees who work with stone countertops are at risk of crystalline silica exposure, and employers should take steps to protect them, OSHA and NIOSH stated Feb. 18 in a joint hazard alert.