b'US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BEGINS RULEMAKING PROCESS TO REVISE STANDARDS FOR OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO LEADNews Release from OSHAU.S. Department of Labor | June 28, 2022 WASHINGTONThe U.S. Department of Labor an-nounced that its Occupational Safety and Health Ad- HEAT ILLNESS ministration has published an Advance Notice of Pro- PREVENTION BULLETIN posed Rulemaking to revise its standards for occupa-tional exposure to lead.Recent medical research on workplace lead exposureWe are well into the summer high heat sea-showsadversehealtheffectscanoccurinadultsatson.Itappearsthat,inmanypartsofthe lower blood lead levels than recognized previously inUnitedStates,temperaturesareagainset-the medical removal levels specified in OSHAs leadting record highs and for longer durations. standards.Lastyear,in2021,reminded Gary Auman,everyoneabouttheunusually The ANPRM seeks public input on modifying currentMICA Legal CounselhightemperaturesinthePacific OSHAleadstandardsforgeneralindustryandcon- Northwestandthehighnumber structiontoreducethetriggersformedicalremovalof fatalities associated with those high temperatures. protection and medical surveillance and prevent harm- As we learned last year, high temperatures are not ful health effects in workers exposed to lead more ef- limited to just one area of the country. So, what does fectively.this mean for you as an employer? Whether you are inconstructionorgeneralindustry,unusuallyhigh OSHA asks the public to comment on the followingtemperatures will impact you, unless you operate an areas of the lead standards:air-conditioned manufacturing, or warehouse, facili-ty. My goal for all of my trade association clients isBlood lead level triggers for medical removal protec- to keep our members apprised about significant haz-tion.ardsthatmayconfronttheiremployees,andtore-Medicalsurveillanceprovisions,includingtriggers and frequency of blood lead monitoring.mind them of their obligations to those employees.Permissible exposure limit.Every employer should have as its number one goal, Ancillaryprovisionsforpersonalprotectiveequip- the safety of its workforce.ment, housekeeping, hygiene and training. This year, in 2022, OSHA has taken two big steps The ANPRM will also gather comments on employ- directed at heat illness prevention. The first step was ers current practices that address workplace lead ex- toannouncethatOSHAwillbeproposinganew posure and associated costs and other areas of interest.specific standard in both general industry and con-structiontosetspecificstandardsforemployersin ReadtheFederalRegisternoticeforsubmissionin- both of those industrial sectors. It is too early in the structions. Submit comments online by Aug. 29, 2022,rule making process to predict how OSHA will actu-on the federal e-Rulemaking portal and refer to Docketally move on these standards. But the second action No. OSHA-2018-0004. by OSHA is well underway, and that is to declare a Learn more about OSHA.NationalEmphasisProgram(NEP)forheatillness prevention. In doing this, OSHA has created proba-U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessi- ble cause to conduct inspections in high hazard in-ble at http://www.dol.gov. The Departments Reasona- dustries for heat illness. Just about every type of con-ble Accommodation Resource Center converts depart- structionisonthatlistandOSHAwillprovide mental information and documents into alternative for- guidelinesforcomplianceofficersconductingthe mats, which include Braille and large print. For alter- NEPinspections.Rememberthat,eventhoughwe native format requests, please contact the Departmentnow have a heat illness prevention NEP, OSHA canat (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal(Continued on page 12) relay).9'