I just saw the Aug. 30 article regarding the newly proposed OSHA regulations [“New regs alarm small fire departments”]. I am a 50-plus year volunteer firefighter and a practicing lawyer for the fire service (all in New York). The chiefs interviewed in the article are quite right — the proposals are untenable — even for large departments. However, I note that no one seems to be focusing on the simplest way to prevent their effect. OSHA regulations do not apply to the public sector, at all. They are only a matter of concern because many states (including Massachusetts and New York) have voluntarily adopted them. Thus, the states may also un-adopt them, or more likely, revise them in a manner which is not so harmful. I believe that the answer to this problem lies, in this case, in the legislature and governor’s office.

Willliam Glass

South Deerfield