OSHA Bureaucrats Threaten to Regulate The Firearms Industry Out of Business

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)"the government agency charged with assuring the safety and health of America’s workforce’is proposing a rule that would affect the manufacturing, transportation, and storage of small-arms ammunition, primers, and smokeless propellants.

According to the National Shooting Sport Federation (NSSF), the proposed rule would force the closure of nearly all ammunition manufacturers and force the cost of small-arms ammunition to skyrocket, essentially collapsing our industry. The cost to comply with the proposed rule for the ammunition industry’which includes manufacturers, wholesale distributors, as well as retailers’will be massive.

For example, ammunition and smokeless propellant manufacturers would have to shut down and evacuate a factory whenever a thunderstorm approached, and customers would not be allowed within 50 feet of any ammunition (displayed or otherwise stored) without first undergoing a search for matches or lighters.

NSSF and SAAMI have met with OSHA officials to explain the problems the proposed rule presents for all levels of the firearms and ammunition industry, and requested a 60-day extension of the publiccomment period to conduct a more thorough review of the proposal. OSHA recently honored the industry’s request by extending the commentsubmission deadline to September 10.

NSSF is urging all manufacturers and retailers of ammunition, primers, and smokeless propellants to submit comments on the proposed rule directly to OSHA.

Industry members should inform OSHA that: The proposed rule constitutes a "significant regulatory action" as defined in Executive Order 12866 Section 3(f)(1) in that it will clearly "adversely affect in a material way" both the manufacturing and retail sectors of the ammunition industry, productivity, competition, and jobs, and that the annual compliance cost for makers and retailers of ammunition alone will far exceed $100 million dollars annually.

All written comments submitted to OSHA must include the following information in the reference line: RE: Docket No. OSHA-2007-0032 Comment on Department of Labor/OSHA Proposed Rule "Significant Regulatory Action" as Defined in Executive Order 12866 Please fax the letter to the OSHA Docket Office at Include the header (in bold type above) on the cover sheet nce You can also email the letter by visiting http:// and following the submission instructions.