Wastewater from data centers may pose risks to treatment workers and trigger OSHA obligations, especially for facilities following EPA’s voluntary treatment standards for industrial water reuse, OSHA observers and wastewater officials are warning.
September 16, 2026
EPA has preliminarily determined that the widely used solvent 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA) poses an unreasonable risk to workers, which if finalized could lead to a workplace-focused TSCA risk management rule for the chemical to limit dermal and/or inhalation exposures from 10 uses of the substance.
The Labor Department (DOL) is proposing to provide greater flexibility in how certain coal mine operators must meet projected black lung liabilities, saying the current Biden-era insurance requirements are potentially detrimental to the coal industry.
California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) has issued a revised workplace violence-prevention standard, covering key definitions, transportation applications, employee representatives’ access to records and other key measures that appear to be winning cautious support from employer-side groups.
Although OSHA lacks a federal ergonomics standard, the agency has other tools to take enforcement action against employers whose workers suffer ergonomic-related injuries, and states are continuing to fill the federal vacuum, making it important for employers to stay on top of the issue, legal experts say.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) has voted on party lines to advance President Trump’s nomination of Keith Sonderling to serve as Labor Secretary, clearing the way for a floor vote amid concerns from Democrats over Trump administration cuts to the OSHA budget and workforce.
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is reiterating longstanding calls for EPA to revise its risk management program (RMP) requirements and for OSHA to update its Process Safety Management Standards (PSM) to limit adverse effects from industrial incidents involving certain reactive chemicals.
OSHA’s National Emphasis Programs (NEP) and similar regional and local programs increase the risk of citations for employers, but at the same time each of these programs includes an agency directive that provides a playbook that can aid employers in preparing for any inspections, Conn Maciel Carey (CMC) attorneys say.
The 5th Circuit has overturned OSHA’s workplace mental illness reporting rule and voided a citation against ExxonMobil issued after an industrial accident left an employee with PTSD, arguing that the agency lacks statutory authority because mental conditions were not considered “illnesses” when the OSH Act was passed in 1970.
Chemical and other industry groups are stepping up their calls for a “single, consistent” set of workplace safety rules regarding toxic chemicals, pressing OSHA, EPA and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to revise the two agencies’ memorandum of understanding (MOU) to better align competing measures.
OSHA is reopening the administrative record for numerous deregulatory proposals related to chemical-specific respirator standards to allow an additional 30 days of public comment following recommendations from a federal advisory panel and as the agency prepares to begin informal public hearings on the rules next month.
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is reiterating longstanding calls for EPA to revise its risk management program (RMP) requirements and for OSHA to update its Process Safety Management Standards (PSM) to limit adverse effects from industrial incidents involving certain reactive chemicals.
Chemical and other industry groups are stepping up their calls for a “single, consistent” set of workplace safety rules regarding toxic chemicals, pressing OSHA, EPA and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to revise the two agencies’ memorandum of understanding (MOU) to better align competing measures.
OSHA is reopening the administrative record for numerous deregulatory proposals related to chemical-specific respirator standards to allow an additional 30 days of public comment following recommendations from a federal advisory panel and as the agency prepares to begin informal public hearings on the rules next month.
EPA’s draft TSCA risk evaluation for the siloxane known as D4 has several shortcomings, including a significant lack of data about workers exposure to the chemical even though chemical manufacturers requested EPA evaluate D4, agency science advisors say in a final report outlining several concerns with the draft document.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) has voted on party lines to advance President Trump’s nomination of Keith Sonderling to serve as Labor Secretary, clearing the way for a floor vote amid concerns from Democrats over Trump administration cuts to the OSHA budget and workforce.
The House Education and Workforce Committee has approved on party lines legislation to bar OSHA from finalizing the controversial Biden-era heat standard proposal, rejecting Democrats’ efforts to substitute legislation that would require OSHA to promulgate a heat standard similar to the proposed rule.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is urging its members to lobby lawmakers to back legislation that would bar OSHA from finalizing the Biden-era proposal for a national heat standard, saying the proposed rule would undo much of the relief for small businesses the Trump administration has put in place.
Public Citizen is urging the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide stable funding for OSHA in fiscal year 2027 and push back on proposed House cuts to the agency’s budget that go beyond those requested by the Trump administration.
The 5th Circuit has overturned OSHA’s workplace mental illness reporting rule and voided a citation against ExxonMobil issued after an industrial accident left an employee with PTSD, arguing that the agency lacks statutory authority because mental conditions were not considered “illnesses” when the OSH Act was passed in 1970.
The federal judge deciding whether OSHA’s Biden-era walkaround rule should be vacated has agreed to make his ruling without holding oral argument after both OSHA and the broad coalition of employers challenging the rule asked for a decision based solely on already-completed written briefing.
OSHA is renewing its push to dismiss litigation brought by a pair of Texas produce groups that are challenging the constitutionality of the OSH Act, arguing the plaintiffs lack standing, the court lacks jurisdiction, and the suit is flawed on the merits and was filed decades too late.
The 4th Circuit is upholding a lower court’s dismissal of South Carolina’s challenge to an OSHA rule requiring states to match annual increases to federal OSH Act penalties, finding South Carolina’s arguments seeking to reinstate the litigation “hold no water.”
California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) has issued a revised workplace violence-prevention standard, covering key definitions, transportation applications, employee representatives’ access to records and other key measures that appear to be winning cautious support from employer-side groups.
Although OSHA lacks a federal ergonomics standard, the agency has other tools to take enforcement action against employers whose workers suffer ergonomic-related injuries, and states are continuing to fill the federal vacuum, making it important for employers to stay on top of the issue, legal experts say.
Oklahoma has extended the deadline for its Department of Labor (ODOL) to issue workplace safety citations against public employers in certain circumstances, giving state officials more than six months to issue citations when an alleged violation arises from a fatality investigation or when third-party conduct caused the delay.
A Nevada legislative panel is delaying action on an administrative proposal to make the state’s OSHA penalty amounts match a 2025 change in federal policy that expanded the universe of employers eligible for penalty reductions after two Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about the proposal.