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Friday, October 19, 2007

OSHA Meets on Diacetyl; Will Progress Follow?

Wednesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration held a public meeting on its plans to regulate diacetyl. Workers exposed to diacetyl, a chemical used to give microwave popcorn its buttery flavor, are at risk for a severe and sometimes fatal lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans.

Despite mounting evidence of the dangers of diacetyl and calls for action from physicians and occupational health experts, OSHA is refusing to issue an emergency temporary standard. Instead, OSHA has chosen to pursue rulemaking through the traditional, but protracted, process.

Participants at the meeting discussed the nature of the rulemaking. Options include setting a permissible exposure limit and promulgating a broader regulation to ensure as much protection as possible.

Regulators do not have a 100 percent complete picture on the nature of diacetyl, and pinpointing a safe level of exposure may be difficult at this point. But while OSHA has tended to use uncertainty as a reason to avoid action, Peg Seminario, director of safety and health for AFL-CIO, recognizes the urgency of the issue and the need for pragmatic policy. From a BNA news service (subscription) article:

"Let's not look for an answer to every question." If a standard deals with exposure assessment, control measures, aggressive medical surveillance with a lot of education and outreach, and respiratory protection, Seminario said, "you have something to protect people immediately."

OSHA officials would not outline a timetable for the rulemaking, according to BNA.

Congress could spur action in the near future. The House has already passed legislation which would mandate OSHA issue an interim standard within 90 days. A companion bill has yet to be offered in the Senate.