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OSHA pushes back recordkeeping deadline WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Occu- pational Safety and Health Administra- tion (OSHA) plans to postpone the fil- ing deadline for its new electronic recordkeeping rule, which had been set at July 1 for many employers. The new deadline for electronic reporting com- pliance is December 1, 2017. The re- porting website (www.osha.gov/record keeping) will be updated as new infor- mation becomes available. The regulation, officially titled the Final Rule to Improve Tracking of Work- place Injuries and Illnesses, was put into place in May 2016. It requires, among other provisions, that many employers submit workplace injury reports to OSHA electronically. The rule does not change the information that employers must keep, but changes the way they are required to report it. Employers required to submit injury re- ports electronically under the new rule include those with more than 250 em- ployees that are required to keep records of workplace injuries, and those with between 20 and 249 employees that are in certain "high-risk"industries, includ- ing construction and manufacturing. OSHA has said that information on workplace injuries that is collected elec- tronically will be made public, though no personally identifiable information about workers will be disclosed. The rule is the subject of a suit filed by a number of industry groups, which claim it jeop- ardizes privacy, is unfair to businesses, and creates burdensome paperwork. President Trump's infrastructure plan detailed in budget proposal WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Donald J. Trump's recently released budget proposal includes a closer look at the administration's infrastructure plan, which involves increased spending at the federal level that the president hopes will spawn four times as much private spending in order to fulfill a $1 trillion campaign promise. Trump's budget, which was unveiled May 23, proposes $200 billion in new federal spending on infrastructure in the next 10 years. The plan calls for a $5 billion expenditure in 2018, as pro- posed reforms and financing programs kick into gear. Federal spending would increase to $25 billion in 2019, $40 bil- lion in 2020, and peak at $50 billion in 2021. Trump also would halt bailouts of the Highway Trust Fund and fill it with federal gas tax revenue; the result would be a $96 billion "drop-off" over 10 years. The White House said Trump would use taxpayer money to leverage invest- ments by states, local governments, and the private sector, for a total of $1 tril- lion in investment at the end of the day. The administration would also aug- ment every dollar spent by streamlining permits, overhauling loan and cost- sharing programs, and cracking down on frivolous lawsuits that the adminis- tration says bog down construction. The White House released a six-page fact sheet that gave a broad sketch of the initiative. The actual legislative package is expected to be presented later this year. Top Republican lawmakers are hoping the release of Trump's budget to shore up the nation's roads, bridges, airports, and other infrastructure will spur talks with Democratic leaders, who were dis- appointed by the steep cuts to the ex- penditures touted by Trump in his run to the presidency. Democratic lawmak- ers said that cuts to existing programs, including slicing federal funding for local transit projects, outstrip any pro- posed new spending. OSHA silica rule guide available WASHINGTON, D.C.—OSHA will begin enforcing its new respirable crys- talline silica standard for construction this June, and the federal agency has re- leased a compliance guide for small businesses to help them understand and follow the rule. The new guide for con- struction helps business owners to de- termine whether the rule applies to them, and what measures they must take to protect workers as well as keep proper records. OSHA approved the new regulation on respirable silica dust, which can cause sil- icosis and lung cancer and can be a haz- ard in abrasive blasting and some con- crete work, last year. The agency re- duced the permissible exposure limit for the material to 50 micrograms per cubic meter, averaged over an eight-hour shift. Sherwin-Williams finalizes Valspar acquisition CLEVELAND, Ohio—The long-ges- tating acquisition of the Minneapolis- based Valspar Corp. by The Sherwin- Williams Co., Cleveland, was finalized on June 1. The $11.3 billion deal was first announced in March 2016 and was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The merger creates a global paints and coat- ings company with a strong financial foothold across the Asia-Pacific and Eu- rope, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions. The companies will complete the deal for $113 per share. As part of a regula- tory agreement with the Federal Trade Commission in relation to the merger, S h e r w i n - W i l l i a m s w i l l d i v e s t o f Valspar's North American industrial wood coatings business by selling the unit to Philadelphia-based Axalta Coat- ing Systems for $420 million in cash. NASF chapter distributes award CHICAGO, Ill.—Rebecca Bennett has received the 2017 Bertram A. Stone Award from the Chicago Midwest Chapter (CMC) of the NASF. The award is the top honor of CMC and is bestowed on an individual who has per- formed outstanding service to the finish- ing industry locally and/or nationally. Bennett, director of chemical and envi- ronmental compliance at Precision Plat- ing, serves on NASF's board of directors. OSHA and NIOSH offer updated heat safety app WASHINGTON, D.C.—OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have col- laborated to update OSHA's original Heat Safety Tool. The updated app, available for both Android and iPhone, provides a clearer user interface, while still providing the same information to POWDER COATING, August 2017 3 UPDATE:Industry