Occupational safety regulation likely to be addressed at state level, AIHA says

Falls Church, VA – With the federal government occupied with budgetary issues and having to deal with a “broken” rulemaking process, states may end up taking their own steps to craft occupational safety and health legislation and regulation, according to the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

“It takes months, if not years, for legislation and regulations to be enacted at the federal level,” Aaron Trippler, AIHA’s congressional and federal agency liaison, said in a Feb. 4 press release. He added that some legislation passed at the state level eventually is addressed at the federal level.

AIHA said the following issues are likely to be on state agendas in the coming months, including:

• Safe patient handling – 12 states already have enacted some type of legislation addressing the issue.
• Mold abatement and licensing – some states are pursuing exposure limits, while others are looking to set standards and regulations for abatement and remediation.
• Hazardous substances – many states are discussing how to deal with issues ranging from asbestos to different chemicals.