Derek needs 120 48"x40" stringer pallets next month.
Adele L. Abrams is an
attorney and safety
professional who represents
companies in litigation
with OSHA and also
provides safety training
and consultation. The Law
Office of Adele L. Abrams
PC has three offices:
Beltsville, MD; Denver, CO;
and Charleton, WV.
She may be reached at
safety-law.com or
301-595-3520.
ere is a lot of meat to most of these
rules, particularly the new recordkeeping
rule which was already finalized and
takes effect January 1, 2024 (details
covered in a previous column).
Expected final changes to the Hazard
Communication Standard—which are
now at the Office of Management and
Budget undergoing final review—will
impact all employers, as new training
on hazard classification systems
will be needed, and distributors and
wholesalers may also need to relabel
products and palletized loads as well
as transmit updated Safety Data
Sheets to downstream customers.
Another rule with broad impact will be
the modifications to OSHA's Powered
Industrial Truck (forklift) standards. New
training and maintenance requirements
will be embedded in design specification
changes, and issues concerning fleet
obsolescence remain. NWPCA
previously submitted substantive
comments on this forklift proposal.
e sheer number of initiatives precludes
a detailed review here, but we will
address the new rules as they come
down the OSHA chute during 2024.
May your "interesting times" be healthy
and safe in the coming year!
"The new regulatory
agenda released by the
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
(OSHA) in December 2023
reveals a push to get new
rules completed in time
to insulate them from
potential rescission by
the next Congress and
president."
