DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
29 CFR Parts 1910, 1915, and 1926
[Docket No. OSHA-H054a-2006-0064]
RIN 1218-AC43
Revising the Notification Requirements in the Exposure
Determination Provisions of the Hexavalent Chromium Standards
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA);
Department of Labor.
ACTION: Direct final rule.
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SUMMARY: On February 28, 2006, OSHA published a final rule for
Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI). Public Citizen
Health Research Group (Public Citizen) and other parties petitioned for
review of the standard in the United States Court of Appeals for the
Third Circuit. The court denied the petitions for review on all but one
issue. The Third Circuit remanded the employee notification
requirements in the standard's exposure determination provisions for
further consideration. More specifically, the court directed the Agency
to either provide an explanation for its decision to limit employee
notification requirements to circumstances in which Cr(VI) exposures
exceed the permissible exposure limit (PEL) or take other appropriate
action with respect to that paragraph of the standard. After reviewing
the rulemaking record on this issue, and reconsidering the provision in
question, OSHA has decided to revise the notification requirements, by
means of this direct final rule, to require employers to notify
employees of the results of all exposure determinations.
DATES: This direct final rule will become effective on June 15, 2010
unless significant adverse comment is submitted (transmitted,
postmarked, or delivered) by April 16, 2010. Comments to this direct
final rule, hearing requests, and other information must be submitted
(transmitted, postmarked, or delivered) by April 16, 2010. All
submissions must bear a postmark or provide other evidence of the
submission date.
Full Article: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=21407
