The presentation will provide an overview of the latest from Capitol Hill, the safety and health regulatory agencies, and the states affecting safety and health practice. Since the presentation will reflect the most current information available just before the PDC, below is a summary of the latest activities led by ASSE's Government Affairs Committee.
Efforts in the last quarter of 2005 have been of an expectant nature, with long-awaited issues finally percolating up from everyone's expectations.
Enzi bill package-A long-awaited, key event was the introduction in November 2005 of the long-awaited Enzi package of bills to establish some new directions in safety and health policy at the federal level. S 2065, the Occupational Safety Partnership Act, contains what has been known in the past as the SAFE Act, providing for third party consultation to help expand OSHA's reach. Such a program has been at the top of ASSE's legislative agenda for years. VPP for small business and state technical assistance programs would also be established. S 2066, the Occupational Safety Fairness Act, is a package of OSHA reform bills that include some of what Representative Norwood has sponsored in the House and have passed there. One DC publication has termed this a "poison pill" package. One provision requires employees to be fined for failure to follow company rules. S 2067, the HazCom Simplification and Modernization Act, would require OSHA to establish model MSDSs and create a Global Harmonization System Commission to consider implementation of GHS in the US. Ironically, after years of expectation, these bills have languished in the focus Congress has given to mining issues following the recent tragedies in the West Virginia coal fields.
Mine safety-As a result of the mining tragedies that brought the nation's attention to mine safety and rescue, mining has been the predominant focus of ASSE government affairs activities in the early part of 2006. On March 2, ASSE was invited to testify at the Senate Health, Environment, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing focusing on mine safety and rescue technology. ASSE Mining Practice Specialty Administrator Mike Neason represented the Society in testimony intended to help ensure that any response to Congress to this tragedy improves mine safety and rescue in ways that work, based on ASSE members' experience and expertise. Along with Chairman Enzi and Senator Isaakson, who is the Chair of the Committee's Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee, Senators Kennedy, Byrd, Rockefeller and Clinton were also in attendance. The hearing room was also packed with UMW miners and families of the victims of Sago and other recent mine disasters. Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for MSHA David Dye testified for MSHA. Senator Byrd, whose state has significant interests, commented impressively on the issues before the committee. Senator Clinton addressed in on MSHA's inability of MSHA to get failures to pay penalties to the Department of Justice because of a computer problem at MSHA. NIOSH Director John Howard and Jeff Kohler of NIOSH's Mining Program also testified.
