Statement from National COSH re: Today's Hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Workforce Protections on "Reviewing Recent Changes to OSHA's Silica Standards"

"The purpose of the new federal rule limiting exposure to silica dust is to save lives, reduce disease and make our workplaces safer.

"It's unclear, however, what the purpose of today's hearing is. The concerns employers have about the new rule have been heard and these issues have been decided during an exhaustive regulatory process. OSHA rigorously followed all required rules and procedures and received extensive input from all stakeholders, including workers, employers and safety experts.

"The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections can make better use of its time -- and taxpayer money -- by examining the many other areas in which workers need new, enforceable protections against hazards which claim tens of thousand of lives and cause millions of injuries every year."

***

National COSH links the efforts of local worker health and safety coalitions in communities across the United States, advocating for elimination of preventable hazards in the workplace. For more information, please visit coshnetwork.org. Follow us at National Council for Occupational Safety and Health on Facebook, and @NationalCOSH on Twitter.