OSHA

At the “OSHA Listens” public meeting, held March 4 in Washington, DC and attended by a large number of OSHA stakeholders, ORC Senior Vice President Frank White outlined three ways the agency could improve its policies and programs.

At a March 3 Informal Public Hearing in Washington, DC, ORC Senior Vice President Frank White and EHS Networks Director Ann Brockhaus voiced support for OSHA’s proposal to align its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

OSHA has issued a proposed rule to align the agency’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) with provisions of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Published in the Sept. 30, 2009 Federal Register (74 FR 50280), the proposal requested interested parties to submit comments by Dec. 30.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses employers' OSHA injury and illness data as the source for the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and is, therefore, very concerned about data quality and ways to improve it.  In a November 17 meeting of the BLS Data Users Advisory Committee, BLS Assistant Commissioner for Occupational Safety and Health Statistics, John Ruser, noted that BLS is studying the relationship between the OSHA data and worker’s compensation data, and is considering (and testing) the use of multiple data sources, such as worker’s compensation data, data f

 OSHA has issued a proposed rule (see attachment) to align the agency’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) with provisions of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Published in the September 30, 2009 Federal Register (74 FR 50280), the proposal has a 90 day comment period, during which ORC Worldwide will be developing comments on this important rulemaking.

Background

ORC Worldwide Senior Consultant Ann Brockhaus is quoted on the topic of OSHA’s GHS proposal in the Sept. 28 issue of Inside OSHA in “Stakeholders Raise Challenges With Transition to GHS.”  

The proposed rule issued by the Bush administration last summer regarding requirements for Department of Labor (DOL) agencies' assessment of occupational health risks is being withdrawn. The rule intended to establish risk assessment procedures to promote public input to and awareness of workplace safety and health rulemakings.