February 14, 2005—Four bills introduced February 10 by Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.) would improve the enforcement of OSHA rules and regulations among small business owners, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
This legislative package will help to reduce some of the regulatory burdens faced by our members when they try to work within OSHAs complicated system of due process, and will provide OSHA with greater flexibility to respond to small businesses without sacrificing workplace safety, said NAHB President David Wilson.
Of particular note to home builders are H.R. 739, the Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act, and H.R. 742, the Occupational Safety and Health Small Employer Access to Justice Act. H.R. 739 would allow OSHA to give businesses more than 15 days to respond to a citation, and H.R. 742 would make it easier for companies to recover attorneys fees when they successfully defend themselves against a citation.
H.R. 740, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Efficiency Act, would add two more administrative law judges to the three-member Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), which hears appeals of violations. At its current size, the commission frequently delays hearings because it does not have a quorum. The measure is designed to address this problem.
H.R. 741, the Occupational Safety and Health Independent Review of OSHA Citations Act, would require judges to defer to the OSHRC when OSHA cases are appealed to the courts.
The four bills are identical to OSHA reform measures passed by the House last spring.
For more information on the bills, visit the NAHB Web site.
