OSHA Update

1
OSHA Update

• Sheila Schulmeyer
• Lubbock Area Office

2
OSHAs Regulatory Agenda

• OSHA will issue guidance on who is responsible
  for payment for PPE by November 2007, due to a
  lawsuit filed earlier this year.

3
Other Issues on the Agenda

• Crystalline Silica
• Beryllium
• Confined Space in Construction
• Comprehensive Emergency Response

• Hazard Communication Standardization
• Hearing Conservation in Construction

4
Completed Rules

• Hexavalent Chromium
• Electrical in General Industry

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What is Hexavalent Chromium?

• Toxic form of chromium metal that is generally
  man-made
• Used in many industrial applicationsprimarily
  for its anti-corrosive properties
• Created during certain hot work processes where
  the original form of chromium was not hexavalent

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How Can Occupational Exposures to Hexavalent
Chromium Occur?

• Inhalation of mists, dusts or fumes created
  during processes involving the use of hexavalent
  chromium (CrVI) compounds or hot processes that
  cause the formation of CrVI
• Eye or skin contact with powder, dusts or liquids
  containing CrVI

7
Three Cr(VI) Standards

• 1910.1026 General Industry
• 1926.1126 Construction
• 1915.1026 Shipyards

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Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) and Action Level
(AL)

• PEL 5 µg/m3 - TWA
• AL 2.5 µg/m3 - TWA

9
Top Three Industries/Operations Covered by the
Cr(VI) Standard

• Welding 269,380 (48) employees
• Painting 81,893 (15) employees
• Electroplating 66,857 (12) employees

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Employees Covered in Welding
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Welding

• Workers welding carbon steel containing more than
  .3 chromium
• 10 would have exposure
• Heat converts Cr(III) to Cr(VI)

12
Welding

• Different welding techniques have different
  potentials for exposure, e.g.
• Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
• Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
• Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG)
• Welding performed in many different conditions
• Indoors vs. outdoors
• Enclosed/confined spaces

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Welding

• Challenges
• Enclosed/confined spaces
• Variability in welding substrates and techniques
• Close proximity of employees using different
  techniques
• Potential solutions
• Planning (type of substrate)
• Substituting GMAW for SMAW
• Ventilation (local and general)

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When Must Employers Comply with Provisions of the
Standards?

• Effective date May 30, 2006
• Start-up dates
• All provisions except engineering controls
• For small businesses (19 or fewer employees) May
  30, 2007
• For all others Nov. 27, 2006
• Engineering Controls
• For all employers May 31, 2010

15
Electrical Standards

• Effective August 13, 2007
• Adopts the NEC 2002 version NFPA 70E 2000
  editions.
• Applies to General Industry, shipyard employment,
  longshoring, and marine terminals.
• Prior law was based on the 1978 NEC, so did not
  reflect changes in technology

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Electrical Standards

• This standard is one of several that will align
  the OSHA laws current technology.
• The first stage covers design safety standards
  for electrical systems, while the second stage
  will cover safety-related maintenance and work
  practice requirements and safety requirements for
  special equipment. It will thus allow the latest
  technological developments to be considered.

17
Electrical Standards

• Ground Fault Current Interrupters required in
  bathrooms and on roofs.
• All 125-volt, single-phase, 15-, 20-, and
  30-ampere receptacle outlets that are not part of
  the permanent wiring of the building or structure
  and that are in use by personnel shall have
  ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for
  personnel.

18
Electrical Standards

• If no GFCIs are available, then a written
  assured equipment grounding program overseen by a
  competent person must be used.
• Test all cords every 3 months, visually inspect
  daily before use.

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Electrical Standard

• More specific than previous law.
• Covers issues such as what to do if there is no
  grounding conductor installed in a building
• Clarifies double insulated tool use
• Discusses some specific instances such as
  irrigation systems, fountains, etc.

20
Electrical Standards

• Proposed laws to address personal protective
  equipment.
• OSHA also has a proposed rule to address
  protective equipment in electric power
  transmission and distribution

21
Proposed Rules

• Explosives
• This rule will modernize the OSHA regulation on
  explosives and clarify jurisdictional issues
  among OSHA, ATF and USDOT

22
Section 610 Reviews

• Section 610 reviews involve a periodic review of
  existing safety laws to determine the continued
  need for the rule, whether the rule overlaps,
  duplicates or conflicts with other Federal,
  State, or local regulations, and the degree to
  which technology, economic conditions or other
  factors may have changed since the rule was
  evaluated.

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Section 610 Reviews

• Lead in Construction
• Methylene Chloride
• Excavations

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What is OSHA Emphasizing?

• New this year, we have National Emphasis Programs
  in Oil Gas, Process Safety Management.
• These emphasis programs involve outreach to these
  industries and spot check inspections.

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Continuing Emphasis Programs

• National emphasis program for trenching
• Emphasis program for Construction for the Focus
  Four Hazards ( Falls, Struck By, Electrical and
  Caught In )

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What is Coming Up?

• Beginning October 1,2007, OSHA will begin a
  refinery emphasis program.
• OSHA plans to inspect all 175 refineries in the
  US. Those refineries that participate in the OSHA
  VPP will be exempted from inspection.

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What Else is OSHA Doing?

• OSHA is seeking partnerships and alliances in
  Construction, and Oil Gas Extraction
  Servicing
• OSHA can partner directly with companies in these
  two areas.

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Questions?

• sheila.schulmeyer_at_dol.gov
• 806-472-7681 ext. 237