On April 23, 2008, OSHA announced that it will hold an informal public hearing on the proposed rule for Confined Spaces in Construction. Published on November 28, 2007, the proposed rule increases the protection provided to construction employees working in confined spaces. The comment period for this proposed rule closed on February 28, 2008. For further details regarding the proposed rulemaking and specific requests for comment, please consult our December 17, 2007 post.

The OSHA hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am on July 22, 2008 at the Department of Labor’s Frances Perkins Building in Washington, D.C. Anyone who intends to present testimony at the hearing must notify OSHA in writing by May 21, 2008. In addition, if the testimony will be more than ten minutes, the presenter must provide OSHA with copies of the full testimony by June 20, 2008.