House Moves to Nix OSHA Rule

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives recently took steps to nullify an OSHA rule on recordkeeping for workplace injuries that requires businesses to keep more extensive records of incidents than they did previously, according to news reports.

The rule was introduced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the administration of President Barack Obama, the reports said. Now, members of Congress are seeking to nullify the rule through the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to eliminate what it considers unconstitutional rulemakings.

Rep. Bradley Byrne, (R-AL), chair of the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, introduced the resolution to undo what he called “an unlawful power grab by the Obama administration.” The rule, finalized in December 2016 said that employers were liable for any failure to record any workplace injury or illness in the last five years, rather than the previous standard of six months. TRSA signed a letter to Rep. Byrne along with other pro-business groups urging him to take this action because the new rule places an unfair burden on businesses. Click here for details.