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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

House Members Press Dudley on Review of OSHA Rule

Last week, Reg•Watch blogged about an OSHA rule currently under review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). The rule would require employers to pay for protective equipment for their employees.

Yesterday, Rep. George Miller (D-CA and chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee) and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA and member of the appropriations committee with jurisdiction over OSHA) wrote to OIRA Administrator Susan Dudley expressing their concern with the White House's review of the rule. (Read the letter here.)

As Miller and Roybal-Allard point out, OIRA met with representatives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (two groups opposing the rule) without the presence of an OSHA official. Like all OIRA meetings about rulemakings, this one occurred behind closed doors. The congressmen write:

A strong comprehensive standard that codifies OSHA's longstanding policy and practice that employers pay for safety equipment is necessary to protect the health and safety of American workers. It should not be weakened through exclusive backdoor meetings between OMB and industry representatives.