OSHA Extends Some Compliance Dates
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule to extend the compliance date for specific ancillary requirements of the general industry beryllium standard to Dec. 12, 2018. OSHA says the extension will maintain essential safety and health protections for workers while it prepares a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to clarify certain provisions of the beryllium standard that would maintain its worker safety and health protections and address employers' compliance burdens. OSHA began enforcing the new permissible exposure limits for general industry, construction, and shipyards and the general industry provisions for exposure assessment, respiratory protection, medical surveillance, and medical removal on May 11, 2018. These requirements are unaffected by this rule, says OSHA. The extension affects provisions for methods of compliance, beryllium work areas, regulated areas, personal protective clothing and equipment, hygiene facilities and practices, housekeeping, communication of hazards, and recordkeeping.