Opinion ID: 74019
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: History of Respiratory Regulation

Text: 3 In 1971, while OSHA was still in its infancy, it promulgated an initial respiratory protection standard pursuant to 6(a) of the OSH Act, 29 U.S.C. 655(a). Section 6(a) authorized OSHA to adopt national consensus standards as occupational safety and health standards in a prompt manner, without the lengthy procedures normally incident to administrative rulemaking, during a period of two years from the OSH Act's effective date. Under that framework, OSHA adopted the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Z88.2-1969, Practices for Respiratory Protection. That standard reflected a preference for engineering controls over respirators; 1 in effect, it allowed respirators only [w]hen effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted. This restriction on the use of respirators, sometimes referred to as the Hierarchy-of-Controls Policy, thus became an ingrained part of OSHA's regulatory framework, and was codified at 29 C.F.R. 1910.134(a)(1). 4 The authority that was conferred by 6(a) to codify national consensus standards as federally mandated occupational safety and health standards expired in 1973, but the respiratory protection standard remained intact. After 1973, OSHA was bound to follow 6(b) of the OSH Act, 29 U.S.C. 655(b), in promulgating, modifying, or revoking standards. Section 6(b) requires the notice and comment procedures typical to administrative rulemaking. 2 Various parts of the old respiratory protection standard were revised and updated over the years pursuant to 6(b), but the changes were relatively minor. 5 The issuance of the Standard in 1998 was the culmination of several years of regulatory debate, hearings, and comment from industry, labor, and other interested persons. The Standard was limited to issues relating to the manner and conditions of use of respirators, and retained the Hierarchy-of-Controls Policy as reflected in 1910.134(a)(1). OSHA first published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on May 14, 1982. See 47 Fed. Reg. 20803. On September 17, 1985, OSHA announced the availability of a preliminary draft of a new respiratory protection standard. On November 4, 1994, OSHA published a proposed version of the new respiratory protection standard, and the hearing required by 29 U.S.C. 655(b)(3) was held June 6, 1995. Following the hearing, OSHA obtained additional comments from interested parties. The final Standard was publishedon January 8, 1998 and became effective on April 8, 1998.