A settlement reached last week by OSHA and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) resolves issues raised by NAM in a lawsuit last March concerning OSHA's revised recordkeeping rule. The resolution means that the rule will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2002.
As part of the settlement, OSHA will focus initially on compliance assistance, rather than enforcement. Thus, no citations will be issued for violations of the recordkeeping rule during the first 120 days after January 1, 2002, provided employers try to meet their recordkeeping obligations and agree to make any necessary corrections.