OSHA Issues Final Rule Revising Requirements in Safety and Health Standards
According to the Federal Register notice, the rule "reduces regulatory burden while maintaining or enhancing worker safety and health, and improving privacy protections."
OSHA has issued a final rule revising 14 provisions in its recordkeeping, general industry, maritime, and construction standards that might be outdated, confusing, or unnecessary. According to the agency's Federal Register notice, the rule “reduces regulatory burden while maintaining or enhancing worker safety and health, and improving privacy protections.” OSHA also stated in a press release that the changes are expected to save employers an estimated total of $6.1 million per year.
OSHA proposed these changes in October 2016. The final rule is the fourth under OSHA's Standards Improvement Project, which started in 1995 as a response to a presidential memorandum to improve government regulations. OSHA issued previous revisions in 1998, 2005, and 2011.
Among the 14 revisions included in the final rule are reductions in annual lung X-ray requirements, elimination of the collection of employee Social Security numbers, and the removal of feral cats from the list of "rodents" in standards for shipyard sanitation.