=======================Electronic Edition========================
RACHEL’S HAZARDOUS WASTE NEWS #42
—September 14, 1987—
News and resources for environmental justice.
——
Environmental Research Foundation
P.O. Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403
Fax (410) 263-8944; Internet: erf@igc.apc.org
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FEDERAL OSHA RIGHT-TO-KNOW RULE NOW WILL COVER MANY MORE WORKERS.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on August 19 extended to “almost
every workplace in the country” the Hazard Communication Standard, which is OSHA’s “worker right to
know” rule.
The old rule covered 14 million workers (employed in 300,000 shops), requiring employers to inform their
workers about hazardous chemicals in the workplace and to label containers holding any of 2300 OSHA-
listed hazardous chemicals. The revised rule adds another 18.5 million workers (in 3.5 million shops). The
old rule covered only manufacturing jobs; the new rule covers the construction and transportation
industries, service industries, plus wholesale and retail trades, so long as those workers are exposed to
hazardous substances on the job.
Requirements of the new rule will be phased in and will become fully effective on May 20, 1988. OSHA
estimates that the expanded coverage will prevent 4100 cancer deaths per year, cutting cancer deaths in the
nonmanufacturing sector by 20%.
The revised rule is expected to preempt many state and local right-to-know laws. Issuance of the revised
rule was required by a judge in response to a lawsuit originally filed by the United Steelworkers of America.
The revised rule appeared in the FEDERAL REGISTER August 24, 1987, pgs. 31851-31886. The entire law
appears in 29 CFR [Code of Federal Regulations] Parts 1910, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1926, and 1928. For further
information, contact Akio Konoshima, OSHA, Office of Information, Room N3647, 200 Constitution Ave.,
NW, Washington, DC 20210; phone (202) 523-8151.