Cal/OSHA Attacks, Urges Improvements To OSHA Respirator Proposal

California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) officials are attacking OSHA’s proposal to remove medical evaluation requirements from its respirator standard, while offering recommendations to help ensure the standard is as protective as possible should OSHA proceed with its planned changes. “Cal/OSHA strongly opposes OSHA’s proposed exemption from medical evaluations for workers required to use filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs),” the state agency says in a comment letter dated Oct. 31 but not submitted until Nov. 3. “This change...