Name:           GONZALEZ NILDA
Organization:   DEPARTMENT OF LABOR-PUERTO RICO -STATE OSHA
Date:           20050928
Address1:       505 MUNOZ RIVERA AVE FLOOR 20
Address2:       
City:           HATO REY
Country:        PUERTO RICO- USA
State:          NY
Zip Code:       00925
Docket Number:  H023
Exhibit Number: 3-14
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Notice of a section 610 review; request for comments.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is conducting a review of the lead in construction standard under section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and section 5 of Executive Order 12866 on Regulatory Planning and Review. In 1993, in response to a statutory mandate to adopt a standard to protect construction workers from lead exposures, OSHA promulgated a standard that requires testing of construction sites for lead exposures, provisions to protect workers from exposure where lead is present, and medical monitoring of exposed workers.  The purpose of this review is to determine whether there are ways to modify this standard to make implementation more practical, to reduce regulatory burden on small business, and to improve its effectiveness, while still protecting worker health. OSHA solicits comments from the public on these and other relevant issues.

If you would like to submit an online comment in response to this notice,  please enter the information below.  Online submissions must be received by 11:59 pm, ET, November 7, 2005 [Extended from September 6, See FR 70:50996-50997.]  Note that you can also upload comments and any supporting materials as electronic document files on this Web site.

Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health.






The Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Administration (PR OSHA-State Plan)has conducted lead removal inspections in housings projects. The compliance officers(CSHO's) found that the employers involved in the lead removal operation was in compliance with HUD PARAMETERS. They found that the pertinent medical examinations, fitting tests for respirators, and air sampling monitoring were conducted. 

We recommend that the empoyer who will perform the lead removal operation shall submit to the pertinent OSHA or State OSHA with jurisdiction, an abatement removal written plan, to be evaluated by OSHA COMPLIANCE staff, and notify the date on which the project will commence, so that the OSHA personnel can evaluate and verify if the employer complies with the lead regulation(1926.62). If through the evaluation of the plan, OSHA finds that it is not in compliance, then a letter is sent to the employer with the appropriate recommendations, and a compliance inspection will be scheduled.

Cordially,
Nilda Gonzalez
Technical Support Director
1-787-754-2171

