Four Lawsuits Facing OSHA Regarding Hexavalent Chromium Are to Be Combined

May 12 2006

TAUC News

According to the May 3rd edition of Construction Labor Report, four lawsuits challenging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) final hexavalent chromium rule will be consolidated in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third District.

Parties involved include:

• The Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Laborers’ International Union
  
• The National Association of Manufacturers
  
• Edison Electric Institute
  
• Public Citizen Health Research Group

The final rule’s exposure limit (PEL) of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air is in dispute. While affected industries characterize the PEL as too low and infeasible, the unions and Public Citizen contend it is too high to protect workers.