OSHA Sets August Hearings on 20+ Proposed Rule Rollbacks, Including Chemical and Fall Protection Standards
According to Safety+Health Magazine, OSHA has scheduled a series of virtual public hearings on more than 20 proposed rules, all tied to the agency’s ongoing deregulatory push, with the first session set for 9:30 a.m. Eastern on August 19.
What’s on the Table
The bulk of the proposals, 16 in total, target chemical substance standards, including rules covering 1,3-butadiene, asbestos, benzene, cotton dust, and lead. OSHA says the intent behind each is to reduce compliance burdens, allow for more up-to-date technology, and better align individual chemical rules with the general Respiratory Protection standard (1910.134).
Beyond chemicals, OSHA is also proposing to remove medical evaluation requirements for employees wearing filtering facepiece respirators or loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators. The comment period for that specific proposal was extended to July 6. Other proposals would end the Safety Color Code for Marking Physical Hazards standard, remove related paragraphs in sawmills, shipyards, and textiles standards, and eliminate a 2036 deadline for installing ladder safety or personal fall arrest systems on fixed ladders extending more than 24 feet above a lower level.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Register to testify by July 6. Any field service company wanting to speak at the August 19 hearing must submit a Notice of Intention to Appear (NOITA) electronically no later than July 6. Miss that deadline and you’re locked out.
- The ladder safety deadline rollback matters for construction and industrial work. Eliminating the 2036 fixed ladder compliance deadline could relieve capital spending pressure for some contractors, but it also signals that OSHA enforcement posture on older ladder systems may shift.
- Chemical exposure programs may need revisiting. If standards for benzene, lead, and asbestos are realigned with the general respiratory protection standard, compliance programs built around the existing chemical-specific rules may need to be updated.
- Submit full testimony by August 5. Those requesting more than 10 minutes at the hearing, or intending to submit documentary evidence, must file the full text of their testimony and all supporting documents by August 5.
- Track the respirator medical evaluation proposal closely. Removing medical evaluation requirements for certain respirator users could change how contractors manage fit-testing and medical clearance programs in the field.
