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2128. UPDATING OSHA STANDARDS BASED ON NATIONAL CONSENSUS STANDARDS

Priority: Other Significant. Major status under 5 USC 801 is undetermined.

Legal Authority: 29 USC 655(b)

CFR Citation: 29 CFR 1910; 29 CFR 1915; 29 CFR 1917; 29 CFR 1918; 29 CFR 1926

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: Under section 6(a) of the OSH Act, during the first two years of the Act, the Agency was directed to adopt national consensus standards as OSHA standards. Some of these standards were adopted as regulatory text, while others were incorporated by reference. In the more than thirty years since these standards were adopted by OSHA, the organizations responsible for these consensus standards have issued updated versions of these standards. However, in most cases, OSHA has not revised its regulations to reflect later editions of the consensus standards. OSHA standards also continue to incorporate by reference various consensus standards that are now outdated and, in some cases, out of print. The Agency is undertaking a multi-year project to update these standards. A notice describing the project was published in the Federal Register on November 24, 2004 (69 FR 68283), along with a direct final rule and notice of proposed rulemaking on the first set of standards to be addressed. The direct final rule has been withdrawn since a significant adverse comment was received, and a final rule based on the NPRM has been prepared. The next set of standards is in preparation as well.

Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
Direct Final Rule 11/24/04 69 FR 68712
Direct Final Rule Effective Date 02/22/05  
NPRM 11/24/04 69 FR 68706
NPRM Comment Period End 12/27/04  
Withdraw Direct Final Rule 02/18/05 70 FR 8290
Direct Final Rule 06/00/06  
NPRM 06/00/06  
Final Action 09/13/05 70 FR 53925
Final Action Effective 11/14/05  


Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No

Government Levels Affected: Undetermined

Agency Contact: Dorothy Dougherty, Acting Director, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., FP Building, Room 3718, Washington, DC 20210
Phone: 202 693-1950
Fax: 202 693-1678
Email: dougherty.dorothy@dol.gov

RIN: 1218-AC08
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