New Proposed OSHA Regulations Receive Major Opposition

Area First Responders say New OSHA Regulations

would Crush Them Financially

Putnam Valley FD personnel in attendance Congressman Mike Lawler and Assemblyman Matt Slater voiced their opposition to proposed OSHA legislation and say the terms need a closer balanced look including those affected by it.

MID-HUDSON- Earlier this year the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) proposed a new Emergency Response Standard for firefighters, EMS providers, and technical search and rescuers nationwide.

The proposed standard would replace the Fire Brigade Standard by consolidating a “patchwork” of hazard-specific standards and state regulations in place today to protect first responders.

OSHA has estimated more than one million emergency responders fall within the scope of the proposed rule with about 350,000 who self-identify as volunteers. While Federal OSHA Standards do not apply to volunteer emergency responders, states with OSHA-authorized health and safety programs may treat volunteers differently.

OSHA says the new regulations aim to better address the full range of hazards currently facing emergency responders since current health and safety regulations that apply to emergency response activities are decades old and are not up to date with improvements in best practices that have been incorporated into industry consensus standards.

On Monday, Hudson Valley Congressman Mike Lawler was joined by State Assemblyman Matt Slater outside Putnam Valley FD headquarters for a news conference that called for OSHA to reverse course on its proposed Environmental Response standard jeopardizing Putnam’s volunteer departments.

Lawler said in his district which encompasses all of Putnam and Rockland counties in addition to sections of Dutchess and northern Westchester, ninety percent of our fire departments are run and serviced by volunteers. These are folks who step up to protect their neighbors, often without any compensation. One of our local volunteer fire departments has an annual operating budget of $190,000. Out of that, they spend about $30,000 on physicals for their members. If these new rules come into play, their operating costs could skyrocket to between $300,000 and $500,000 a year. Another local department with a $660,000 budget would see costs increase by almost $300,000. This is an impossible burden for small departments to bear.”

Lawler went on: “If these volunteer departments can’t afford to meet the new requirements, we could see many of them shut down. Imagine the impact of that – communities left without essential emergency services. This is a matter of life and death. I urge OSHA to reconsider this proposed new rule. We need a more balanced and realistic approach. Exemptions for small, rural, and volunteer fire departments should be on the table, and we must explore ways to reduce financial and logistical burdens. We have to protect our first responders without jeopardizing the very services that keep our communities safe.”

Source: Mid-Hudson News