DOE/EH-0361 --- Issue No. 94-05 --- 05/94

Indoor Air Quality -- Proposed Rule

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, published in the Federal Register April 5, 1994, Vol 59, No. 65, pp. 15968-16039, addresses proposed standards for indoor air quality in indoor work environments.

SUMMARY

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing to adopt standards that address indoor air quality in indoor work environments (29 CFR Parts 1910, 1915, 1926, 1928). The proposed action is based upon a preliminary determination that employees working in indoor work environments face a significant risk of material impairment to their health. Compliance with the proposed indoor air quality provisions in this notice will greatly reduce that risk.

The following provisions are proposed in the notice:

• Affected employers would be required to develop a written indoor air quality compliance plan and implement that plan through inspections and maintenance of building systems that influence indoor air quality.

• Employers would be required to implement controls for specific contaminants and their sources, such as outdoor air contaminants, microbial contamination, maintenance and cleaning chemicals, pesticides, and other hazardous chemicals within indoor work environments.

• In buildings where smoking of tobacco products is not prohibited, designated smoking areas (separate, enclosed rooms exhausted directly to the outside) would be required.

• Provisions to limit the degradation of indoor air quality during the performance of renovation, remodeling, and similar activities are proposed.

• Provisions for information and training of building system maintenance and operation workers and other employees within the facility are proposed.

• Provisions to address the establishment, retention, availability, and transfer of records such as inspection and maintenance of records, records of written compliance programs, and employee complaints of building-related illness are proposed.

OSHA is inviting the submission of written data, views, and comments on all regulatory provisions and relevant issues proposed in this notice. A public hearing is also being scheduled by OSHA where oral submission of views will be accepted.

COMMENTS TO OSHA

Dates: Comments on the proposed standard must be postmarked by June 29, 1994. Notices of intention to appear must be postmarked by June 20, 1994. Testimony and evidence to be submitted at the hearing must be postmarked by July 5, 1994. The hearing will commence at 9:30 A.M. on July 12, 1994.

Addresses: Comments should be submitted in quadruplicate or 1 original (hardcopy) and 1 disk (5 1/4" or 3 1/2") in WP 5.0, 5.1, 6.0 or ASCII to the Docket Office, Docket No. H-122, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202)219-7894.

Notices of intention to appear and testimony and evidence should be submitted in quadruplicate to Mr. Tom Hall, Division of Consumer Affairs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N3649, Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202)219-8615.

The hearing will be held in the auditorium of the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

COMMENTS TO DOE

It is requested that a copy of any comments forwarded to OSHA also be forwarded to Mr. Roy Gibbs, Acting Director, Office of Occupational Safety, EH-31, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 10585.

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