New regs for Friday: Cars, silica, eyes

Friday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new odometer requirements for cars, as well as workplace protections for construction and manufacturing employees.

Here’s what is happening:

Cars: The Department of Transportation is proposing new odometer requirements for cars.

{mosads}The Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed Thursday to allow electronic odometer disclosures.

The rules would “ensure accurate odometer disclosures and aid law enforcement in prosecuting odometer fraud,” the agency said.

The NHTSA is also considering doing away with an odometer exemption for old cars. Currently, the rules do not apply to cars that are more than 10 years old, but the agency said it may raise the bar to cars than are more than 25 years old or eliminate it altogether.

The public has 60 days to comment.

Workplace: The Department of Labor is levying new workplace protections.

The Labor Department’s Occupations Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Thursday it is cutting in half the maximum level of silica dust to which construction and manufacturing workers are exposed.

The silica rules will save 600 lives each year, OSHA estimates.

The rules go into effect in 90 days.

Eyes: The Department of Labor is moving forward with new workplace eye and face protections.

The Labor Department’s Occupations Safety and Health Administration announced Thursday new rules to protect employees from hazards to their eyes and face.

The eye and face standards will mostly affect “general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, longshoring, and construction,” the agency noted.

The rules go into effect in 30 days.