Trump Signs Measure to Eliminate OSHA Recordkeeping Rule

OSHA

OSHA

Construction industry groups are applauding President Donald Trump’s decision to sign a measure that eliminates a rule that would allow OSHA to issue citations for recordkeeping violations up to 5 years old.  The previous statute of limitations was 6 months. 

The “Volks Rule,” as it was known, took effect in January of this year, after President Obama passed the resolution in December.  Both the House and the Senate voted to repeal the rule in March of this year, before Trump also signed the resolution in early April.

Contractors are still required by OSHA to keep injury and illness records for 5 years, based upon current OSHA standards that were not subject to repeal, however. 

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) issued press releases after the President’s decision to pass the resolution.  Both organizations claimed that increasing the statute of limitations on recordkeeping violations would have created a burden of paperwork for contractors, while also failing to improve worker health and safety.

“ABC looks forward to continuing to work with OSHA to develop standards that include real-world input from contractors and accomplish the agency’s important goal of improving jobsite safety without unduly burdening job creators,” said ABC Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen in a press release.

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