Contact:	Bob Redding (202) 543-1440
For Release:	Immediate News Bulletin 98-54 June 22, 1998

ASA Chairman Miller Meets with Workforce Protections Subcommittee on OSHA Reform

Washington, D.C., June 22, 1998 - Automotive Service Association (ASA) Chairman Carl Miller, AAM, met with the professional staff from the U.S. House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. Several pieces of legislation have been submitted by Subcommittee Chairman Cass Ballenger (R-N.C.) and are being considered by the House to change the way OSHA protects the health and safety of American workers.

"We are encouraged by the steps that the subcommittee is taking to make OSHA more employer friendly and still protect worker safety. I am particularly excited about the legislation that the committee is considering that will allow me, as a small business owner, to have my shop inspected without fear of financial penalties if I take prompt action to correct any problems that are found," said Miller.

Eight pieces of legislation are being considered by the Congress. H.R. 2864, The OSHA Compliance Assistance Authorization Act of 1997, would direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a program with the states with which employers may consult about compliance with health and safety requirements.

H.R. 2869, the Voluntary Safety Audits for Business, would encourage employers to conduct their own workplace evaluations but prohibit OSHA from using the results of these evaluations to punish employers, with certain exemptions.

H.R. 2871, Peer Review of Safety and Health Standards, would require OSHA to appoint an independent scientific panel to review proposed standards.

H.R. 2873, Fair Notice of OSHA Standards to Covered Businesses, would require OSHA to publish notices in the Federal Register that list the specific industries that will be affected by new OSHA regulations.

H.R. 2875, Flexibility in Meeting Safety and Health Rules, would allow employers to implement methods of worker protection alternative to the federally required methods if they are equal to or exceed the protective standards in place.

H.R. 2877, Prohibiting OSHA Enforcement Quotas, would prohibit the Secretary of Labor from using the results from inspections to evaluate OSHA employees or impose employee quotas.

H.R. 2879, Multi-Employer Worksites, would exempt in certain cases employers from violations of safety standards who have no employees exposed to the violation and have not created the condition that caused the violation or assumed responsibility for ensuring compliance by other employers on the work site.

H.R. 2881, OSHA Penalty Relief for Small Businesses, would direct the Secretary of Labor to waive penalties for certain OSHA violations by small businesses in certain cases.

The Self-Audit Promotion Act passed recently by voice vote, the Fair Notice of OSHA Standards Act, and the Sound Scientific Practices Act recently passed the Subcommittee.

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind, serving more than 13,000 businesses and approximately 60,000 professionals from all segments of the automotive service industry. ASA is headquartered in Bedford, Texas.

ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. Additional information about ASA, including past news releases, is available on the ASA Web Site on the Internet (http://www.asashop.org).