August 2024 Volume 6

WASHINGTON UPDATE

Labor law experts expect challenges to the rule once finalized from both sides. Should former President Trump return to office and halt the movement of the rule, workers’ rights groups could file suit to compel action. Much of the focus is on the arbitrary 80oF initial heat trigger level and how OSHA settled on that figure. The high heat trigger, initially proposed at 87oF increased to 90o, is causing attor neys to question the agency’s methodologies in setting those levels. The OSHA indoor and outdoor heat rule still has a long pathway prior to the agency releasing a final rule with many variables along the way, including a presidential election. However, regulators moved on an expedited process by their standards to release the rule this summer and other policymakers are not waiting for a final rule. The states and municipalities across the country moved on their own, absent a federal standard. As of this writing, California, Colo rado, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington state have workplace heat standards in effect. Recently, OSHA announced that it had conducted more than 5,000 inspections under its National Emphasis Program to inspect workplaces with the highest exposures to heat related hazards. In the coming months, FIA and other employer groups will file formal comments with OSHA and work with the regulated commu nity to address the multiple concerns in the proposed regulation. FIA believes that a one-size-fits-all approach regulating the cook in the kitchen, the contractor on a job site, and the forger in a manu facturing plant under a single standard is not feasible and will not improve workplace safety in the forging industry. Creating and maintaining a safe work environment for employees is paramount for members of the FIA. While OSHA may have sound intentions in its proposal to regulate temperatures in the workplace, heat is fundamental to the forging process, which is why the FIA will continue to work on behalf of the industry on this critical regulation.

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS FOR A GREEN FUTURE ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY ROTOR SHAFT PRODUCTION

ecologically friendly rotary swaging & axial forming

The innovative cold forming process chain can save a significant amount of CO₂ per year during production and thus, make a greater contribution to environmental protection.

Omar S. Nashashibi is a founding partner at The Franklin Partnership, LLC, a Washington-D.C. based lobbying firm representing the Forging Industry Association before the federal government. Email: omar@franklinpartnership.com

Information about the Felss solutions: www.felss.com

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2024 5