Contact:	Bob Redding (202) 543-1440
For Release:	Immediate News Bulletin 97.60 July 18, 1997

House Committee Holds Hearing on OSHA's Plans For Safety and Health Program Standard

Washington, D.C., July 18, 1997-- The House Committee on Small Business held a hearing on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) plans to develop a Safety and Health Program Standard. The standard would likely involve provisions encouraging top management leadership, worker participation, clear lines of responsibility, proactive hazard identification, prevention and control, and training.

According to Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor Gregory Watchman, who testified on behalf of OSHA, the agency does not yet have a safety and health program proposal, but has been fashioning a working draft that includes these elements: (1) Employers should take an active role in protecting their workforce from serious hazards; (2) there should be regular communication between employers and employees, encouraging workers to identify hazards and suggest solutions; (3) employers should use self-inspections and accident investigations to find and fix workplace hazards; (4) employers should inform and train workers about the hazards in their work environment; and (5) employers should regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their programs.

Republican Committee members expressed concern that under the new standard, employers would waste a great deal of time and money trying to understand and implement its sweeping mandates, instead of focusing their resources on preventing real, known risks in their individual workplaces. The members complained that OSHA inspectors would be given increased power by the standard to determine whether violations have occurred, even though employers have not been able to determine for themselves what constitutes a violation and what constitutes compliance.

Automotive Service Association (ASA) Washington Representative Bob Redding said, "After our meeting last month with OSHA's Director of Compliance, we are hopeful that the agency is committed to promulgating common sense regulations written in plain language which focus on the reduction of injuries and illnesses rather than the numbers of inspections and penalties. We are cautiously optimistic that any new standard will reflect these principles and earn the support of small business employers."

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind serving more than 12,000 businesses and approximately 55,000 professionals from all segments of the automotive service industry. ASA advances the professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services.