government affairs

ASSE Government Affairs Update - June 27, 2008

The following government affairs-related items impacting the practice of safety, health and environmental professionals can also be accessed directly at
http://www.asse.org/professionalaffairs/govtaffairs/gaupdate/.

• Florida Governor Signs ASSE's Public Sector Safety & Health Coverage Task Force Bill
• ASSE Members Join Voices to Urge John Howard Reappointment
• ASSE Argues for More Dollars for Federal Safety Agencies
• OSHA’s Leadership Deck Shuffled
• NIOSH Seeks Comment on Control Banding Draft
• Tales from the Front: Senate Hearing on 2nd Anniversary of MINER Act
• MSHA Proposed Rule on Underground Coal Mine Refuge Alternatives
• U.S. House Passes Nano Bill
• NIOSH Update on Prevention Through Design (PtD)
• NIOSH Study Finds Hispanic Worker Fatality Rates Higher
• Tales from the Front: June 6 SBA Safety Roundtable
• OSHA Advice on Summer Heat
• OSHA Video on Fireworks Safety Released
• Comments Sought on NORA Ag/Forestry/Fishing Sector Council Plan
• PHMSA Seeks Input on Int’l Dangerous Goods Transport Meeting
• Modifying NIOSH’s Statement of Standard for CBRN Full Facepiece APR
• Underground Coal Belt Air and Belt Material Fire Retardant Properties
• OSHA Asks Paperwork Comments on Sling Standard
• OSHA Asks Paperwork Comments on Forging Machines Standard
• EPA Evaluating Formaldehyde in Wood
• Ag Journal Publishes Special Safety/Health Issue
• EPA Reducing Air Emissions from Portland Cement Plants
• EPA Addresses Rodent-Control Product Safety
• GAO Stuff

State SH&E Legislative Activities Report - Download (doc)
April 2, 2008 - May 31, 2008

If you believe there are issues in the attached ASSE State SH&E Regulatory Activity Report report that ASSE members should be particularly concerned about or should take action on, you should inform the ASSE Regional Vice President of your region, Tom Cecich, Chair of the national Government Affairs Committee at cecichtf@earthlink.net and Dave Heidorn, ASSE Manager of Government Affairs at dheidorn@asse.org.

This report is to be used by ASSE Chapter Government Affairs Chairs to notify their chapter members of any significant developments affecting safety, health and environmental professionals in their state or other states. Please review the report and forward any information you deem important to your members' SH&E practice. On ASSE’s Government/Professional Affairs page are instructions on how to proceed through ASSE’s approval process for government affairs activities, which are fairly simple.

Some issues and legislation of unique interest --

• The continuing trend of states to address sustainability issues like global warming is noteworthy. As is typical, when the federal government does not act on an issue, states will. After a time, those being regulated tend to look to the federal government to address the variety of different requirements sprouting up across the country. In any endeavor, those with activities cross state lines tend not to want to meet varying requirements wherever they do business. Watch for that kind of argument down the road.
• Legislation addressing polybrominated diphenyl ethers and phthalates in California where it passed the Assembly and in Minnesota where it was vetoed.
• A bill in California addresses pharmaceuticals in drinking water. News reports are bringing attention to this issue.
• Highway work zone bills signed into law in Connecticut.
• On the advancing professionalism front, Georgia wants to license paramedics and emergency med techs.
• Hawaii has passed into law several workers comp bills into law.
• Iowa has a new law addressing odors from livestock operations.
• Maryland has a new patient lifting law.
• A bill in Minnesota would establish an advisory council on developing and regulating consumer products that would "establish a comprehensive and integrated framework for promotion of chemistry and chemical engineering involved in the design of products that reduce or eliminate risks to health or the environment." Seems like an organized way to deal with an issue of concern that is sprouting up in other states in a more ad hoc way.
• The introduction of poultry worker protection bill in North Carolina.
• A New Jersey bill looks to set PELs for mold exposure.
• A bill in New Jersey would require baseball stadiums to disclose injuries from balls and bats at games.
• A mine safety bill passed the Ohio legislature.

States included in this report include: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.