[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 17, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H3493-H3494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           OSHA, AT IT AGAIN

  (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I hope Mike Royko's column today is a joke, 
but unfortunately it is not. OSHA is at it again.
  Apparently, a small business in Chicago recently received a set of 
instructions from OSHA on how to safely handle water. Yes, water, not 
waste water, not contaminated water, just water. The instructions 
include water's boiling point, its freezing point, its weight.

[[Page H3494]]

The laboratory protective equipment recommended included safety glasses 
and a lab coat, and instructions include keeping the container lid on 
tightly closed and how to transport the water and a warning to protect 
it from freezing.
  Yes, Mr. Royko points out, however, that OSHA did not document any 
effects of overexposure to water. Does OSHA not consider drowning a 
hazard? The bureaucrats at OSHA also failed to identify any conditions 
to avoid. What about the chance of burning your hand if the water is 
too hot?
  Mr. Speaker, the time to reform OSHA is now.

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