Technological, economic, and political feasibility in OSHA's Air Contaminants Standard

Journal Article · · Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-16-1-1· OSTI ID:5413206

Robinson, J C; Paxman, D G ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley (USA)

In 1989, after almost two decades of substance-by-substance standard setting, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated its Air Contaminants Standard, imposing new exposure limits for 376 toxic substances encountered in U.S. industry. In marked contrast to earlier regulations, the Air Contaminants Standard has generated relatively little industry opposition. This paper analyzes the standard in the context of the twenty-year debate over the appropriate role for technological feasibility and economic compliance costs in occupational health policy. The political feasibility of the new standard is traced to OSHA's abandonment of technology forcing in favor of reliance on off-the-shelf technologies already in use in major firms. While important as an embodiment of OSHA's new generic approach to regulation, the Air Contaminants Standard cannot serve as a model for future occupational health policy, due to its reliance on informal, closed-door mechanisms for establishing regulatory priorities and permissible exposure limits. 20 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5413206
• Journal Information: Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law; (United States), Vol. 16:1; ISSN 0361-6878
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
AIR QUALITY
STANDARDS
ECONOMICS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE LEVEL
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
US OSHA
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
SAFETY
SAFETY STANDARDS
US DOL
US ORGANIZATIONS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety