Document 2j6Kdq3vBxZ3E9y2KVnjY1qLg

HILL and KNOWLTON. Inc. Environmental Health Unit Memorandum June 21, 1971 Labor Department Launching Campaigns to Prepare Industry for Nationwide Occupational Safety and Health Drive Washington -- The Labor Department's new Occupational Safety and Health Administration is alerting some 4.1 million businesses that they'd better get ready to comply with the stringent terms of the new Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act. The effective enforcement date for most affected industries; ami businesses to live, up to the terms of this act will be August 27. That's 90 days after the publication in the Federal Register for May 29 of 246 pages of three columns each of fine print that set forth the safety and health standards which OSHA is charged with enforcing. Most of these standards at present are those already effecting concerns that operate under the Construction Safety Act, the. Maritime Safety Act or the Walsh-Healy action for Federal contractors. As of August 27, these standards will apply to all covered businesses and some 57 million or more workers. OSHA officials headed by Assistant Labor Secretary George C. Guenther initiated a trade association cooperative effort Friday, June IS with a briefing session for some 300 trade association executives or their representatives at Washington's Filter. Hotel. Much cf the discussion related to the terms of the law and the regulations, but the pressure was put on for associations to launch major activities to help their companies achieve compliance and improve their safety and health records. Relating to the law, here arc some of the points developed out of the session: 1. Operating under direction from OSHA in Washington will be 10 regional offices in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle. Under them will be 47 area offices to handle local inspections and compliance procedures.2 2. It was brought out during discussion that OSHA is signing agreements with most states (at last count, 46 states and the District of Columbia) to continue to run enforcement and compliance under their own laws, while OSHA is also setting up its own program. Secretary Guenther, in response to a question conceded that there would be two systems of compliance and enforcement, but said he hoped there would be coordination and cooperation between state officials and OSHA to reduce duplication and overlap. CAPCO KIN 0001326 3. OSHA is new revising its regulation for reporting and record keeping, which requires recording any injuries or health problems that, in effect, call for anything more than a little first aid. It is proposed that these be kept on a calendar year basis rather than a fiscal year as originally proposed. These should be in t::'e hands of 'mployors sometime durian. July, and may he published in the Federal Register in a matter of weeks. 4. It is recognised that for many small businesses especially, some of the requirements will he highly costly (a:;:! perhaps unnecessary) and will be non-revenue producing. This is such an issue that a special spot on the program was given to a representative of the Small Business Administration which is trying to develop a special loan program for Safety and Health expend-; Lures Jcr small businesses tvvir;; to com!*-1*2'. 3 4 5 From the briefing session: 1. A list of suggestion:: about vhu: trade e.s<.-- s: at' on-: could do was given out at the nuetine and so era: 'thu':' raf" ."rally. 2. Representatives of so-called target industries -- -the first: ones tc get priority enforcement: and compliance atrentians because of their "most hazardous" records -- presented their plans to assist member com panies improve their safety and health records. These industries arc: Longsiioring, Roofing 6.- Sheet Metal, Heat f.- Meat Products, Lumber and Hood Products, and Mobile Hc'-'.'S & Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment 3. A specific list of reccmmcndafions for associations was presented by the Forest Industries Council Safety and Health Coordinating Committee for some 29 industry groups repress:1'rod on the Committee. Other industry representatives told of similarly stcpr-ed-up activities. 4. Many companies, who may not have been under previous Federal laws relating to Safety and Health are going to be confronted with ar. increasing number of inspectors and compliance officers. Those OSHA officials will be entitled to enter and inspect plants, meet with employees and receive employee complaints, and issue: citations without notice (although some provision for not more than 24 hours notice is provided in the regulation). In situations of "imminent" hazard they can take ir.nediate steps to shut down operations or an operation. Considerable informational material was made available at the session. This includes the fcllowing: 1. Organization chart of Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 2. Regional offices of OSTIA. 3. Area offices of OSHA. 4. Map of regional offices cf OSHA. 5. List of "What Associations Can Do." and list of--1!Other- Suggestions for Associations Made Orally ir> Session." CAPCO KIN 0001327 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. List of "Target Industry" speakers. Forest Industries Council material: (a) Statement by Merlin Race, chairman, Forest Industries Council Safety and Health Coordinating Committee, (b) News release on Race's statement, and (c) FIC's recommendations for Effective Trade Association Safety Action. "A Handy Reference Guide: The Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970," OSHA. "Safety Standards," Vol. 20, No. 3, May-June 1971, OSHA. Labor Department release of May 26, "Labor Department Announces Target Industry Program for Job Safety" (which contains 10-year injury record for target industries, compared with all U.S. manufacturing). Labor Department release of May 30, "Labor Department Issues Initial Safety Standards." Notice of proposed rule making, OSilA, "Inspections, citations, and proposed assessment of penalties," Federal Register, May 5. Occupational Safety and Health Standards, National Concensus Standards, and Established Federal Standards, OSHA, Federal Register, May 29 (246 pp.) Individual copies of items 1 through 6 may be obtained from Sandy Dar.kner, Environmental Health Unit, Hill and Kncwlton, Inc., 150 East 42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10017. For No. 7 write Forest Industries Council, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington D.C. Items 8 through 13 should be available from the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Office of Information, Washington, D.C. 20210. - XXX - :APCO KIN 0001328