Stephanie Salmon, Artemis Strategies; Jeff Hannapel & Christian Richter, The Policy Group, Washington, D.C. WASHINGTON ALERT
Warning Letters Sent to Workplaces With Above-Average Illness and Injury Rates
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY LETTERS WERE SENT TO U.S. METALCASTING FACILITIES As part of the U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration’s Site-Specific Targeting Program (SST), 9,414 establishments were sent letters in March warning their high injury and illness rates in 2011 could prompt the agency to inspect the businesses. Approximately 150 letters were
sent to U.S. metalcasting facilitiess. To be placed on the OSHA list, the plant must have had a “days away [from work], restricted, or trans- ferred” (DART) rate that exceeded its industry average. Te letters inform employers that up to 2,500 workplaces included on the list could be inspected. Tey were mailed only to employers covered by the federal OSHA and not sent to employers in states with safety en- forcement agencies. Te SST program is OSHA’s main
programmed inspection plan for non- construction workplaces that have 20 or more workers. In addition to the SST program, OSHA implements both national and local emphasis in- spection programs to target high-risk hazards and industries. OSHA currently has the follow-
ON THE HILL
Industry Debates Lowering Silica PEL
The American Foundry Society (AFS) met with officials from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Office of Management and Budget in March to discuss updates to the proposed crystalline silica standard. AFS told officials current crystal- line silica standards have improved occupational health and it is not nec- essary to work to reduce the permis-
sible exposure limit (PEL). According to AFS, the expected PEL reduction would cost the metalcasting industry $1.5 billion a year in engineering controls, a number 10 times higher than OSHA’s estimate. The agency proposed lower- ing the current PEL of 100 migrograms per cubic meter to 50µg/cu.m. AFS proposed maintaining the
current PEL level, allowing the use of respirators to stay in compliance, and removing other housekeeping require- ments due to a lack of dermal or inges-
tion exposure risk.
The report from AFS can be viewed at
www.whitehouse.gov/ sites/default/files/omb/assets/ oira_1218/1218_03122013-1.pdf. OSHA originally proposed the silica rule in February 2011. Typically, a review performed by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs is no longer than 90 days.
For additional information, contact Stepha- nie Salmon, AFS Washington Off ice,
202/842-4864,
ssalmon@afsinc.org. May 2013 MODERN CASTING | 19
ing National Emphasis Programs which directly impact metalcasting facilities: amputations, lead, crystal- line silica, hexavalent chromium, recordkeeping, primary metals and combustible dust. OSHA also has approximately 140 Regional and
Local Emphasis Programs (REPs and LEPs).
Te list of companies that received
a letter from OSHA is posted on the agency’s website at
www.osha.gov/as/opa/foia/ current-foia.html.
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