OSHA Hearing on Proposed Emergency Response Modifications Begins
A virtual public hearing on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposal to modify the way the nation’s fire, rescue and EMS personnel respond to emergencies is underway and may last for weeks.
The proposed change focuses on improving responder safety but also addresses training, equipment, communications and command.
Once the hearing is over, the process will be open for final comments.
“Emergency response workers in America face considerable occupational health and safety hazards in dynamic and unpredictable work environments. Current OSHA emergency response and preparedness standards are outdated and incomplete. They do not address the full range of hazards facing emergency responders, lag behind changes in protective equipment performance and industry practices, conflict with industry consensus standards, and are not aligned with many current emergency response guidelines provided by other federal agencies,” according to a statement from federal officials.
OSHA officials explained that the “focus of the Emergency Response proposed rule is to provide basic workplace protections for workers who respond to emergencies as part of their regularly assigned duties. Notably, the scope of protected workers under the proposed rule would be expanded to include workers who provide emergency medical service and technical search and rescue…”
OSHA received more than 4,000 comments from fire and rescue departments, fire service organizations, responders, members of Congress as well as municipal and state elected officials and business owners.
Volunteer fire officials across the country say the new regulations or unfunded mandates would be very costly and may signal the closure of departments.
Federal officials wrote in a September statement they had little information about the impact on the volunteer service when they composed the proposal.
They went on to say that since then they have "received comments in response…from many stakeholders, including volunteer emergency responders, fire chiefs, trade organizations, and members of Congress, which raise serious concerns about the economic feasibility of the proposed standard for volunteer fire departments. OSHA takes these concerns seriously. The comments submitted to the rulemaking docket provide crucial information that the agency did not have earlier in the rulemaking process. This new information will help the agency make the necessary determinations about whether the proposed standard is feasible for volunteer organizations."
Information about the proposal is being provided by various fire service organization panels.
On Tuesday morning, IAFF General President Edward Kelly said his organization fully supports the changes saying there are ‘gaping holes in firefighter safety.’
He said firefighting is a dangerous profession and any measures that will make it safer are welcome.
“The ERS represents a significant step toward rectifying longstanding deficiencies in safety protocols – particularly by addressing hazards such as equipment, standard operating procedures, cancer, and mental health issues – which have been neglected for far too long," Kelly said in a statement.
"We are heartened by OSHA's recognition that the value of fire fighters’ lives should outweigh the minimal expenses or inconveniences employers may experience by complying with the ERS. Fire fighters, especially those in states without collective bargaining, need comprehensive safety standards and deserve the right to participate in their development. We are deeply troubled by the negative feedback from municipalities, fire departments, and individuals arguing that these safety standards are too costly. These same arguments are raised any time that safety standards are expanded,” Kelly wrote to federal officials.
Speaking on behalf of the IAFC, Harrisonburg, VA Fire Chief Matt Tobia said while the organization supports the focus on firefighter health and safety, he said many rural departments do not have access to clinicians nor could they afford the health mandates proposed.
Additional testimony from Tobia and other fire service panels will continue.
Susan Nicol | News Editor
Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.
