OSHA has announced a final rule “that streamlines and simplifies standards while reducing employer burdens.” The agency says it will help keep OSHA standards up to date and better enable employers to comply with regulatory obligations.
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Download NowThe updates are in line with an Executive Order issued January 18 to improve regulation. The new rule will result in several changes to OSHA’s respiratory protection standard, including aligning air cylinder testing requirements for self-contained breathing apparatuses with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. It will also clarify that aftermarket cylinders meet NIOSH quality assurance requirements.
Other changes include updating the term “potable water” to be consistent with current EPA standards and deleting requirements that required employers to transmit exposure and medical records to NIOSH. The institute says that will save significant costs to store and maintain the information.
OSHA estimates that the final rule, the third in the standard improvement initiative, will save up to $43 million without reducing employee protection and with significant reductions in employee paperwork burdens.