Earlier this month, Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA) submitted a joint letter with NTMA and PMA in response to a request by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Darrell Issa for examples of ill-conceived regulations and rules interpretations and their impact on metalworking manufacturers.
The letter stated, “The first week of May 2012, the federal government issued 77 new final rules and regulations and proposed 40 new rules. As of May 25, 2012, the year-to-date total for new federal rules and regulations issued was 1,506, filling 31,432 pages. Of these new rules, the government classified 292 as having a significant impact on small businesses. Companies like our members simply lack the resources, financial or personnel, to sort through the thousands of pages of new regulations each year. Compounding this challenge is a lack of knowledge of industry process by regulators who are not familiar with manufacturing and therefore often issue ineffective rules with unintended consequences.”
The letter provided examples of existing and proposed regulations and rules interpretations that negatively impact metalworking manufacturers, reduce global competitiveness and restrict the ability to hire employees and invest in facilities. Examples included the EPA’s TRI Article Exemption Rule, Nickel Rule and Metalworking Financial Responsibility Requirements Rule; OSHA’s interpretation of lockout guidelines, arc flash requirements and guidance memo indicating that safety incentive programs may potentially be a discriminatory violation against disciplined employees and may discourage safety violation reporting; and the SEC’s conflict minerals rule. Read the full letter.
You have more than enough on your plate to say grace over without having to battle the bureacrats and regulators and their ill conceived burdensome regulations. PMPA’s regulatory efforts are just one way of “effective associating” that can help you and your company in today’s hostile regulatory environment.