OSHA hearing on emergency response standard set for Nov. 12

Washington — OSHA has scheduled a public hearing on proposed updates to its emergency response standard.

According to a notice published July 23, the virtual hearing is set for 9 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 12. “If necessary, the hearing will continue from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Eastern on subsequent weekdays.”

In a notice of proposed rulemaking published in February, OSHA says it’s seeking to “address the full range of hazards currently facing emergency responders.”

Firefighters, emergency medical service providers and other emergency responders are covered under a “patchwork of hazard-specific standards” or State Plan regulations, the agency says. Current regulations also don’t align with the Department of Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System.

“All of the OSHA standards referred to above were promulgated decades ago, and none was designed as a comprehensive emergency response standard,” the NPRM states.

In addition to replacing its standard on fire brigades (1910.156), the agency wants to address major changes in performance specifications for protective clothing/equipment and safety and health practices that have “already been accepted by the emergency response community and incorporated into industry consensus standards.”

The proposal also would require employers to obtain baseline medical screenings for first responders and ensure continued medical surveillance when responders are exposed to the byproducts of fires and explosions more than 15 times a year.

Anyone wanting to testify during the hearing or question witnesses must submit a Notice of Intention to Appear before Sept. 27.

The National Volunteer Fire Council hosted a Day of Action on July 12 to inform volunteer fire departments about the changes.

“While many of the proposed provisions would be helpful and improve the safety of emergency responders, many of the new requirements would be very burdensome, and in many cases impossible, for volunteer fire and emergency service departments to comply with,” NVFC says. “If the standard is adopted in its current form, many departments would be forced to shut their doors or else operate outside of the federal standard, leaving themselves open to fines, citations and huge civil liability exposure.”