As part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s process to determine whether to initiate rulemaking to revise its powered industrial trucks standards for general, maritime, and construction industries, the American Foundry Society submitted comments. OSHA’s current regulations are “based on industry consensus standards from 1969,” the agency said in a press release.
Metalcasters have significant opportunities in the next few weeks to educate congressional lawmakers about the importance of the industry.
These opportunities are Congressional recesses, April 15-27 and May 27-31, when representatives and senators are back in their states and districts, as well as during the June AFS Government Affairs Fly-In in Washington, D.C.
The American Foundry Society (AFS) opposes a Treasury Department proposal that would make it more expensive for manufacturers, including metalcasters, to finance the purchase of depreciable equipment by limiting interest deductions four years earlier than Congress intended.
Speaking up for the industry, AFS signed a coalition letter, organized by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), urging Treasury officials to reverse the proposed rule.
A new water infrastructure law and an agreement from OSHA on non-HEPA sweepers highlight recent policy victories for the metalcasting industry.
A comprehensive infrastructure bill backed by AFS won resounding support from Congress. America’s Water Infrastructure Act (S. 3021) provides more than $6 billion in funding for civil works projects nationwide, as well as important improvements for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
The bipartisan measure was signed into law by President Donald Trump in October.