Labor secretary pulls proposed rule on diacetyl to pave way for standard

The secretary of labor withdrew OSHA's proposed rule on workplace exposure to diacetyl.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis withdrew the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for occupational exposure to food flavorings containing diacetyl. She said this will facilitate the agency's timely development of a standard to protect workers from bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious and potentially fatal lung disease associated with diacetyl exposure.

"I am alarmed that workers exposed to food flavorings containing diacetyl may continue to be at risk of developing a potentially fatal lung disease," she said.

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"It is imperative that the Labor Department move quickly to address exposure to food flavorings containing diacetyl and eliminate unnecessary steps without affecting the public's ability to comment on the rulemaking process," she added.

This withdrawal will allow OSHA to convene a small business advocacy review panel to determine the impact a proposed rule might have on employers and how those impacts can be reduced.

April 6, 2009

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