Many in the finishing community are aware of the industry's efforts this past year to secure a reasonable outcome on OSHA's new chromium workplace exposure standard. The industry posted a significant accomplishment by credibly arguing, on technical and economic grounds, for a more workable and protective limit for affected facilities. But long-time litigant and activist group Public Citizen is still suing OSHA on the grounds the standard is wholly unacceptable. As much as it wished to avoid it, the industry also filed its own lawsuit on several grounds, but partly to protect the new standard from being rejected by the 3rd Circuit Federal Appeals Court now hearing complaints from all sides. However, the industry recently agreed to drop its lawsuit in exchange for some constructive changes in OSHA's implementation of the rule. More details on the meat of the industry's settlement with OSHA will follow later in the article, but first, a reminder on compliance:
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