ACCA Joins the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Fight Unnecessary OSHA Regulation

Arlington, VA, (May 29, 2020) - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in opposing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency rule. ACCA and the chamber’s actions include; contacting lawmakers in opposition of HR 6559 and filing an amicus brief, as well as informing the D.C. Court of Appeals of steps employers and governments across the country have taken to keep workers safe. The 'emergency temporary standard' would require all employers in the United States to abide by additional regulations on top of those that have already been imposed by OSHA, which includes state and local authorities. This is counterproductive as different areas of the country have been affected by the coronavirus in very different ways. Requiring all employers to adopt additional, rigid regulations would impede industries from delivering their goods and services, especially those in areas that have been the least affected.

ACCA believes that OSHA’s current strategy of enforcing the ‘general duty clause’ with industry-specific guidance based on the latest information from the CDC is a much more flexible and efficient method of workplace safety enforcement. Our understanding of the coronavirus is rapidly evolving and countless employers, municipalities, and all 50 states have already taken extensive steps to protect workers from infection (in addition to OSHA’s existing regulations and guidelines).

“Placing further regulations on employers will only cause unnecessary confusion and make it more difficult to do business,” says Barton James, ACCA president and CEO. “Since the onset of the pandemic, ACCA has opposed policies that would make it more difficult for contractors to work, and this situation is no different.”

For more information about ACCA, please contact Deb Weiner, Manager of Communications and Strategic Partnerships at deb.weiner@acca.org or by phone at 703-824-8862.

 

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ACCA is a non-profit association serving more than 60,000 professionals and 4,000 businesses in the indoor environment and energy services community. Our member firms are the nation's most professional contracting businesses, serving residential and commercial customers in every state. With roots stretching back a century, ACCA was incorporated in its present form nearly 50 years ago. Today, ACCA sets the standards for quality comfort systems, provides leading-edge education for contractors and their employees, and fights for the interests of professional contractors throughout the nation. Learn more about ACCA here.