WASHINGTON (June 2, 2022) — Labor and environmental groups recently sent a letter to the EPA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) regarding Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluations and consideration of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) today released the following statement in response:
“Worker health and safety, protection and industrial hygiene are a top priority for our members. The letter misconstrues what we are calling for. EPA has changed its policy recently and is now disregarding critical and essential information about workplace requirements and protocols to use personal protective equipment (PPE), including PPE required by OSHA, during its risk evaluation process. In its risk evaluations and determinations EPA should consider, and account for, existing workplace controls that are either industry practice or requirements and PPE. EPA must acknowledge conditions of use that incorporate existing industrial hygiene protective measures, such as engineering controls and PPE, and EPA should not ignore, undervalue, or undermine OSHA-required worker protection practices in TSCA risk determinations and risk management actions.”