Advocacy

ACOEM has expressed its support for H.R. 2193 which directs OSHA to issue a federal standard on the prevention of excessive heat in the workplace for outdoor and indoor workers.

On April 13, ACOEM wrote to Martin Walsh, DOL Secretary urging the Department to issue the Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19. While commending the Administration on the progress that has been made to vaccinate the American people, ACOEM stressed that COVID-19 is still a present danger in many workplaces and that vaccinations, though accelerating, are not yet at the point where they will stem community spread of the disease.

In comments to the Department of Transportation regarding FMCSA's proposed Alternative Vision Standard, ACOEM raises concerns regarding several aspects of the proposal including questions about what is stable vision and who is responsible for review of the driver's safety record. In addition, ACOEM expressed concern that the basis for the alternative vision standard is flawed.

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) has reintroduced the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R.1195). This bipartisan legislation is intended to protect caregivers from violence on the job. ACOEM has written Rep. Courtney to support his legislation, and is urging ACOEM members to do the same.
 

On February 8, 2021, ACOEM offered comments on President Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety. Specifically, ACOEM urged OSHA to include precautionary removal protection in the Order, articulate explicit criteria for identifying an “outbreak,” and establish criteria for determining which workers require such protection.

ACOEM supports proposed legislation reintroduced by Senators Manchin and Capito which would require DOL to provide necessary protections for mine workers by working with operators and miners to address occupational exposures to COVID-19.

ACOEM has asked the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to update its regulations addressing silica exposure in mine workers. Specifically, ACOEM asked MSHA to “rapidly act upon your August 29, 2019, Request for Information (RFI)” in which MSHA solicited information and data on “feasible, best practices to protect miners’ health from exposure to quartz in respirable dust, including an examination of an appropriately reduced permissible exposure limit, potential new or developing protective technologies, and/or technical and educational assistance.” In the letter, ACOEM recommends that MSHA “enact standards for respirable crystalline silica (not just quartz) for both coal mines and metal-non-metal mines.”

ACOEM applauds President-Elect Biden's recent Statement on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act; expresses hope that this represents the beginning of the revitalization of OSHA.

ACOEM applauds President-Elect Biden's recent Statement on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act; expresses hope that this represents the beginning of the revitalization of OSHA.