OSHA convened a public hearing December 4 on its proposed PPE rule revision.  ISEA requested the hearing as part of its challenge to the agency to rethink its PPE proposal, which would eliminate the references to ANSI and ASTM standards for eye and face, head and foot protection from its PPE rule.  In comments filed with the agency on July 16, ISEA said the proposal would potentially lower the level of protection for workers and make compliance with the PPE rule more difficult.  ISEA's comments offer an alternative approach that the association says will preserve worker protection, and give employers and OSHA flexibility to stay current with updated product standards. 

Witnesses at the hearing represented ISEA and member companies Jackson Safety, 3M, MSA and Sperian Preotection.  Aearo Technologies and Safety Optical Service were also represented.  Other witnesses were from ASSE, the AFL-CIO and a panel representing building and construction trade unions.  Here are links to additional documents:

• OSHA announcement of the proposal
• OSHA Federal Register notice (5/17/07)    Text   PDF
• OSHA Federal Register notice of hearing (8/31/07)  Text   PDF
• ISEA's comments
• ISEA's news release
• ISEA testimony at the December 4 hearing
• on-line docket to track comments    

ISEA has long advocated updating references to consensus standards in OSHA regulations, though not in the form proposed by the agency.   ISEA's comments to OSHA in 2004 identified needed updates in references to ANSI standards for eye and face protection, head protection, and first aid. 

OSHA has published its employer-pay for PPE rule.  First proposed in 1999, rule established that employers will have to supply PPE that is required by OSHA standards, with exceptions for certain items such as prescription safety glasses, some safety footwear, logging boots and "ordinary" clothing worn at work.  ISEA testified in favor of the rule when it was first proposed, and submitted comments when the docket was reopened in 2004.  There's more information, including links to primary sources, here.

A US government panel has released a report on the use of disposable respirators for personal protection against pandemic flu.  It concludes that properly fitted N95 disposable respirators are likely to be the best available protection for health care workers and the public, but that they cannot be effectively cleaned or disinfected and must therefore be discarded after use.  There's more about the study on the National Academy of Sciences website.

The Federal Highway Administration has published a final rule that requires all workers on Federal-aid highways to wear high-visibility apparel that meets ANSI/ISEA 107-2004.  This includes construction and maintenance crews, surveyors and utility crews, incident responders including law enforcement personnel, and anyone else whose duties put them on the Federal highway right-of-way. 

Nearly nine years after publishing its Respiratory Protection Standard, OSHA has published a final rule on Assigned Protection Factors (APFs).  More information is available from the OSHA website, including a summary, and the complete rule.  ISEA members can get a printable copy (1.7 MB PDF) here.

ISEA submitted comments to OSHA on the Agency’s proposed rule on Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution. This is a sweeping proposal focused on the construction of electrical power generation plants and transmission lines, and on the maintenance and repair of such facilities. It covers a number of areas including fall protection, payment for PPE, and the use of national consensus standards. Read the comments here.

INFORMATION FOR ISEA MEMBERS (access to the Members Only site requires password).

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