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06/27/00 TUE 15:31 FAX 1 002 erganismics OVERSIGHT OF OSHA DURING THE 106th CONGRESS The Requests OSHA has testified at 13 Congressional hearings, five of which were focused in whole or in part on ergonomics. OSHA is scheduled to testify at three additional oversight hearings in July, including two on the proposed ergonomics rule. OSHA has received 33 Congressional requests for documents (see attached chart). These requests include those of Senator Enzi and Congressman McIntosh for documents concerning OSHA's use of contractors in developing the proposed ergonomics rule. At the request of Senators Bond, Thompson and Jeffords, the General Accounting Office is examining OSHA's use of contractors in developing the proposed ergonomics rule. At the request of Senator Bond, the Inspector General of the Department of Labor is investigating OSHA's use of contractors in developing the proposed ergonomics rule. The Impact On OSHA Responding to Congressional oversight requests requires time and attention from many of the same individuals who are developing the final ergonomics standard. Among the ergonomics team members who have expended significant periods of time in responding to oversight requests are: Assistant Secretary, OSHA 3 Deputy Assistant Secretaries, OSHA Director of Safety Standards, OSHA Director of Office of Regulatory Analysis, OSHA Director of Policy, OSHA Associate Solicitor, Occupational Safety and Health Division, Office of the Solicitor of Labor 2 OSHA Staff Full-Time On June 16th, OSHA provided to Senator Enzi some 3,000 pages of documents regarding OSHA's use of contractors in developing the proposed ergonomics rule. In June 2000, OSHA contractors provided to Rep. McIntosh over 10,000 pages of documents regarding OSHA's use of contractors in developing the proposed ergonomics rule. From November 1999 through February 2000, OSHA provided to Rep. McIntosh over 30,000 pages of documents regarding so-called "non-codified guidance."