OSHA Developments

 OSHA Developments. Two of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) regulatory proposals took significant steps forward recently:

• Infectious Diseases. OSHA’s proposed rule “to protect employees from exposure to pathogens that can cause significant infectious disease” has advanced to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review. This means that a proposal might be issued before the end of the Biden administration, though the incoming Trump administration will obviously determine the proposal’s fate.
  
  
• Personal Protective Equipment in Construction. Also at OIRA is OSHA’s final rule relating to personal protective equipment (PPE) in construction. This stage of OIRA review is the last step in the rulemaking process prior to finalization. The final rule is expected to focus on ensuring that PPE fits properly on smaller workers, particularly women. At this point, it is not clear whether any final rule will be promulgated before the end of the current administration or how the new administration may react.

Source(s): Ogletree Deakins (Beltway Buzz), received on November 22, 2024