OSHA and EPA regulations

To define their direct impacts, OSHA and the EPA can initiate regulations and take recommendations from other government agencies. Proposals are listed in the Federal Register to allow comments from the public. Agencies then review the comments, make changes where appropriate, and issue a final rule. These regulations often effect ground operations and their economical accomplishment.

With EPA Entering the Picture, Deicing Gets More Complex

This is the headline from an aviation safety article in Aviation Today. This is a great example of how ground safety operations can have an economic impact. The chemicals which are used in deicing, such as ethelyne glycol or propylene glycol, are mandated by the FAA. It was realized that those chemicals, when combined with storm water runoff, create water-quality issues in the receiving waters. So in these cases, the airlines are the ones doing the deicing, and the airport authorities are going to have to deal with the runoff. As such, the cost has to be absorbed by someone. Airport authorities have to make sure that the runoff is either contained or treated before it mixes with storm water. They would probably impose restrictions on airlines or companies providing deicing to accomplish this. Some airlines have already taken initiative to make technological and process innovations to reduce the amount of runoff from planes or runways that needs to be treated or collected.

Another area of economic impact to general aviation is the use of lead in avgas. It was noted that 34,000 tons of lead were emitted between 1970 and 2007 from 14.6 gallons of leaded avgas consumption. As AOPA states, 100LL avgas is necessary for safe flight in general aviation aircraft. Any alternative fuels may compromise safety, have an economic impact(higher manufacturing costs), and be subject to the FAA approval process. Current initiatives are being proposed with the public having 60 days to make comments on the proposals as noted in the process description above.

OSHA has the responsibility to make sure that work environments are safe and workers are provided with the necessary equipment and area to achieve safety. One area of OSHA is the Voluntary Protection Program(VPP). This is a status that is granted to a company has engendered a culture of health and safety within an organization, a self-policing philosophy that allows OSHA to cut back on its direct oversight. Specifically, this is when management accepts the OSHA responsibility to implement an effect workplace health and safety program that meets an established set of criteria. The economic impact is that as a result of a safer workplace, fewer workers have to miss work from work related injuries. Delta Airlines has implemented the system, and, in 2002, TechOps beat its OSHA recordable injury reduction goal by 23%, and its lost workday cases reduction goal by 33%. They had 175 fewer injuries in 2002 than in the previous year. So, the overall economic impact to their company, $1.2 million in savings per year.




"Aviation Today :: With EPA Entering the Picture, Deicing Gets More Complex." Breaking News and Analysis on Aviation Today. 17 Apr. 2006. Web. 15 May 2010.

Aviation and Airport Development Law : Aviation Lawyer & Attorney : Chevalier Allen & Lichman Law Firm : Airport Development, Environmental Law. Web. 15 May 2010.