OSHA May Defer Combustible Dust Rule in 2016

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration may have thrown in the towel on issuing a general industry regulation for combustible dust before the end of the Obama Administration in January 2017. The clearest sign: A schedule for releasing the proposed combustible dust rule has been wiped from the latest regulatory agenda, released last fall. The agenda commits the agency only to putting together a small business forum, referred to as a SBREFA panel, in August 2016. While a rule may not be forthcoming in the forseeable future, OSHA will continue to enforce a set of specific industry-wide and sector-specific standards that may be used to cite combustible dust hazards.  An advanced notice of proposed rulemaking was released in 2009 which resulted in a series of meetings.  However, since these meetings, OSHA has not moved forward with this initiative.  OSHA did not comment on a timetable for this rulemaking.   SGIA will continue to montior activity on this important legislative initiative.  SGIA will continue to monitor this activity.  Sign up to receive the most up-to-date regulatory and legislative information about specialty imaging.