News Briefs
Proposed OSHA budget stresses assistance
Funds for standards development decline
The change in emphasis of the U.S. Occu-pational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was apparent in the agency’s budget proposal, which would reduce funds for standards development by $1.3 million for fiscal year 2003 but increase compliance assistance, outreach, and training activities by $2.75 million. The proposed budget also includes a slight decrease of $700,000 in the funds for federal enforcement, although the agency estimates that it will perform an additional 1,300 inspections in FY 2003.
The Bush administration’s budget request of $437 million for OSHA reflects a decrease of $5.9 million, or 1%.
"There’s still going to be a strong enforcement arm. That’s still a major tool," says Bill Wright, OSHA spokesman.
"But compliance assistance and outreach are a major concern," Wright says. The agency will emphasize computer-based activities, such as e-Tools, an on-line compliance assistance program.
The budget proposal projects that four new standards will be promulgated in 2003: fire protection, walking and working surfaces, commercial diving, and fall protection.
The agency recently reopened the proposed tuberculosis standard for additional comment. Action could still be taken on the proposed rule in 2003, even though it isn’t specified in the budget proposal, Wright says.
Remarks by OSHA administrator John L. Henshaw mirror those recently made by Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
"OSHA will target inspections on the worst hazards and at the most dangerous workplaces," Henshaw said in a statement.
As far as creating new rules, he said: "We will continue to base all standards on clear and sensible priorities and then review existing rules to revise or eliminate obsolete and confusing standards." t
Flu season starts slowly; cases rose in February
Once again, this influenza season turned out to be a late one, with cases rising in February.
For 15 of the last 25 years, the flu season has peaked in February or later, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.
From Nov. 25, 2001, to Jan. 19, 2002, epidemiological tracking showed only low levels of influenza activity. However, CDC officials cautioned that cases were beginning to increase and that more activity was expected in upcoming weeks.
Influenza activity was reported by state epidemiologists as widespread in Colorado, New York, Utah, and Virginia, and regional in 11 states.
In February, the CDC still was urging health care providers to vaccinate high-risk populations, including health care workers.
"Influenza activity is expected to increase, and unvaccinated [people] can benefit from vaccination even after influenza has been detected in their communities," the CDC advised.
"The predominant viruses isolated so far this season have been influenza A (H3N2) viruses, and all of the U.S. isolates characterized antigenically at CDC this season have been well-matched by the vaccine strains," the CDC reported.
The CDC update also noted that antiviral treatments administered within 48 hours of symptom onset can reduce the duration of illness by about one day in healthy adults.
Flu information that is updated weekly is available from CDC voice information: (888) 232-3228. Fax information: (888) 232-3299 (request document number 361100). Web site: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/weekly.htm.
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