Labor Department Withdraws Occupational Health Risk Assessment Rule

The Department of Labor, under the leadership of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, has just said it has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have affected how federal agencies conduct occupational health risk assessments. The rule would have required OSHA and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration to publish an advance notice of proposed rule-making for all regulatory actions regarding toxic substances or chemicals in the workplace. Critics argued that this would just add extra steps to an already slow regulatory process by making it harder to prove the level of risk workers face when exposed to toxins on the job.

Critics argued that the Labor Department under former President George W. Bush pushed the proposal through with little public input. It was also argued that it would have stalled new work safety regulations. In the August 31 Federal Register, the Labor Department said that, based on a careful review, it decided the proposed rule is unnecessary and that it is more useful “to continue describing its internal risk assessment policies through guidance rather than through promulgation of a regulation.” Democratic lawmakers applauded the move, saying in a statement that the proposed rule would have “dramatically weakened future workplace health and safety regulations and slow their enactment.”

Sources:
Ceniceros, Robert. "Labor Department Withdraws Occupational Health Risk Assessment Rule." Workforce Management. 2 Sept. 2009. Web. 2 Sept. 2009.
"Labor to Withdraw Risk Assessment Proposal." The Wall Street Journal. Web. 2 Sept. 2009.