NLBMDA is pressing dealer concerns over OSHA’s proposed heat standard after a House subcommittee hearing on federal workplace rules.
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) is calling for a practical, flexible approach to workplace heat safety after a House subcommittee hearing put OSHA’s proposed heat standard in the spotlight.
At a September 2 hearing, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections took up federal workplace regulations. Discussion included the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed heat injury and illness prevention standard.
Witnesses from small business, labor and policy groups, including the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Americans for Prosperity and the American Action Forum, testified as members debated the costs and benefits of federal workplace requirements.
Elizabeth Milito of NFIB argued the proposed heat rule could place disproportionate compliance and recordkeeping burdens on small employers. She also presented more than 10,000 petition signatures opposing the rule.
OSHA’s proposal, which would set requirements for employers to address heat hazards in indoor and outdoor workplaces, remains under consideration. NLBMDA has warned that a rule that is too prescriptive could saddle dealers with heavy paperwork and compliance costs while ignoring differences in work sites, current safety practices and regional climates.
While it awaits further guidance from OSHA on where the rulemaking is headed, the association plans to keep engaging members of Congress and their staffs to communicate dealer concerns.