Chemical Safety Rule Changes on Horizon as Rulemaking Revived

The federal rule protecting employees from chemical accidents needs to be updated after going unchanged for 30 years, business and worker advocates agreed.

The groups, which diverged in other respects, spoke during the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s online meeting Wednesday to discuss possible updates to the agency’s process safety management rule.

The 1992 standard sets requirements for how highly hazardous chemicals are manufactured, stored, and used. The rule was enacted after Congress, as part of the Clean Air Act, instructed OSHA to issue a standard.

Wednesday’s hearing was among the first steps the Biden administration OSHA has taken to ...