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DOL/OSHA RIN: 1218-AB53 Publication ID: Fall 1997 
Title: Standards Improvement Project 
Abstract: OSHA has made a continuing effort to eliminate confusing, outdated, and duplicative regulations. In 1978 and again in 1984, the Agency conducted comprehensive revocation and revision projects that resulted in the elimination of hundreds of unnecessary rules. In 1995, OSHA developed a list of standards it proposed to revoke or revise. These standards were deemed to be out of date, duplicative, inconsistent with other OSHA standards, or preempted by the regulations of other Federal agencies. The agency began this process in March 1996 by revoking various non-substantive provisions that the Agency believed were unnecessary or ineffective in protecting worker health or safety. The Agency followed up this effort by issuing a final and a proposed rule addressing substantive changes. The first of these, issued on June 20, 1996, eliminated duplicative standards by replacing them with cross references to eliminate any possible confusion and to reduce the volume of the rules. The second one, published on July 22, 1996, proposed to reduce the burden imposed on employers by selected medical surveillance provisions of existing rules, change the emergency-response provisions of the vinyl chloride standard, and eliminate a number of duplicative or unnecessary provisions. A final rule addressing these proposed changes will be issued in 1997. This Standards Improvement Project has two other components: elimination of duplicative requirements and appendices associated with the Agency's Longshoring and Marine Terminals Standards (completed in July 1997) and revision and streamlining of the Agency's respirator standard and appendices, which will be completed in December 1997. 
Agency: Department of Labor(DOL)  Priority: Other Significant 
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Final Rule Stage 
Major: No  Unfunded Mandates: No 
CFR Citation: 29 CFR 1910    29 CFR 1926   
Legal Authority: 29 USC 653    29 USC 655    29 USC 657    40 USC 333   
Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
Final - Miscellaneous Minor & Technical Amendments  03/07/1996  61 FR 9228   
NPRM - Consolidation of Repetitive Provisions; Technical Amendments  06/20/1996  61 FR 31427   
NPRM - Miscellaneous Changes to General Industry & Construction Standards  07/22/1996  61 FR 37849   
Final - Longshoring  07/25/1997  62 FR 40141   
Final - Respirators  12/00/1997    
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No  Government Levels Affected: None 
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No 
Agency Contact:
John F. Martonik
Evaluation
Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Room N3641, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, FP Building,
Washington, DC 20210
Phone:202 693-2043
Fax:202 693-1641
Email: john.martonik@osha.gov