OSHA Rule Would Replace Proven Heat Safety Plans with 600 Pages of Red Tape, ABMA Testifies

On Wednesday, June 25, the American Building Materials Alliance (ABMA) testified before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding its proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention rule. Representing the lumber and building materials (LBM) industry, ABMA urged OSHA to recognize the effectiveness of existing heat safety plans already in place across the industry. Francis Palasieski, ABMA’s Director of Government Affairs, delivered oral testimony on behalf of the organization and its members.

“We’re not asking for an exemption. We’re asking to continue using plans that work,” Palasieski said “The proposed rule would invalidate every single plan we already have in place and replace it with an unproven, prescriptive approach focused more on compliance checklists than real-world safety.”

Palasieski was joined by ABMA Chair Rod Wiles and backed by data from insurers and safety groups representing hundreds of LBM locations and more than 100,000 employees. Those groups reported zero heat-related injury claims across the industry over the past four years.

During the hearing’s Q&A, Palasieski fielded questions from OSHA officials on topics such as industry-specific work conditions, reporting procedures, break policies, and how employer safety plans are developed in collaboration with insurance partners.

ABMA emphasized that the proposed rule, spanning over 600 pages, could impose significant operational and compliance burdens on small and medium-sized businesses, even those with excellent safety records. ABMA has committed to submitting follow-up materials, including real-world examples of heat safety plans used by member companies, and will remain actively engaged throughout the rulemaking process.

Read ABMA’s full written testimony here.

Read Francis Palasieski’s full statement on LinkedIn here.

About ABMA

ABMA advocates on behalf of the lumber and building materials (LBM) industry. ABMA represents LBM dealers and associated businesses in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. We work directly with members of Congress, the White House, and federal agencies to impact the legislative and regulatory process as it affects the LBM industry. ABMA is powered by the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association (NRLA) and Construction Suppliers Association (CSA).

Contact:

Francis Palasieski – Director of Government Affairs – fpalasieski@abmalliance.org – (518) 880-6376

Source: ABMA