DoL Releases Spring 2011 Reg Agenda
The Department of Labor has released its Spring, 2011 Regulatory Agenda, listing the rules and regulations which agencies plan take actions on in the next 12 months.
OSHA
The OSHA Regulatory Agenda lists a total of 31 items, including 4 “completed actions” (working conditions in shipyards, standard improvement project III, procedures for discrimination complaints by federal employees, and a revised fee schedule for the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories).
OSHA plans to complete Final Rules on 14 items over the next year. These include:
- Hazard Communication (GHS) Standard, final rule date of September, 2011,
- Confined Space in Construction rule, final rule date of November, 2011,
- Revisions to the Consultation Grants Program Agreements, September, 2011
- Direct final rules adopting national consensus standards on acetylene and personal protective equipment (August and October, 2011)
- Seven procedural rules implementing the “whistleblower”/anti-retaliation provisions under various statutes for which OSHA has been given responsibility.
Among rules listed for the Proposed Rule stage are:
- exposure to crystalline silica (NPRM, 6/2011 and hearings in 10/2011),
- walking-working surfaces and fall protection (analyzing comments from public hearings, 8/2011),
- 3 rules revising OSHA’s injury and illness recordkeeping requirements, including the MSD column and electronic records (NPRM, 9/2011).
Finally, in the Prerule stage are:
- exposure to beryllium (economic peer review, 6/2011),
- diacetyl and food flavorings (health effects peer review, 7/2011),
- combustible dust (SBREFA, 12/2011),
- Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (SBREFA, 6/2011).
MSHA
MSHA lists a total of 11 items including two which are completed actions (M/NM dams and lowering exposure to respirable coal dust.
MSHA lists one item for Final Rule, an Emergency Temporary Standard on rock dust, which is listed for 6/2011.
Among the rules listed for Proposed Rule Stage are:
- Pattern of Violations (POV) rule (analyze public comments, (9/2011).
- Part 100 assessing civil penalties (NPRM,11/2011),
- Exposure to crystalline silica (NPRM, 8/2011).
Finally, the timetable on safety and health management programs has changed. The new agenda lists stakeholder meetings, to take place in September, 2011.
Both OSHA and MSHA conducted on-line Q and A sessions on their respective agendas. You can access those discussions and more information at http://www.dol.gov/regulations/.