Citing worker safety and other risks, food safety advocates are urging the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to halt approval of line speed wavers for poultry processing plants and to reopen the comment period for a 2014 final rule after a Georgia plant was granted a waiver despite failing a required safety inspection.
November 15, 2026
Labor groups are petitioning the Trump administration to retract a proposed Labor Department (DOL) rule easing child labor safety laws in the health sector because it violates the Information Quality Act (IQA), a little-used law that courts have found to be unenforceable, though advocates say the petition could bolster a future suit under other laws.
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Taking a page out of Republicans' playbook, House Democrats are trying to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to rescind the Trump OSHA's rule rolling back Obama-era recordkeeping requirements, a messaging exercise as the effort will almost certainly not be considered in the GOP-controlled Senate.
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House Democrats have reintroduced and expanded legislation seeking to strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act by covering additional workers and bolstering protections for whistleblowers while also enhancing penalties, though an employers’ attorney suggests the bill is unlikely to pass the Senate or reach the president’s desk.
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Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), incoming chairwoman of the House subcommittee overseeing worker safety is aiming to ensure vigorous OSHA enforcement, block Trump administration rollback of worker safety rules and reduce opioid abuse among construction workers but says boosting the minimum wage is her top priority.
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NIOSH in a new research plan is outlining steps for addressing research gaps preventing regulators from better understanding nanomaterials’ potential risks to workers, while also noting that continued introductions of novel nano-scale substances present an ongoing challenge to understanding and addressing risks.
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OSHA has begun using drones to help determine whether to initiate inspections at a time when they may lack adequate resources, though the trend is prompting concern from industry attorneys, who say it could increase inspections for outdoor workplaces when the drones observe hazards in “plain view.”
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Labor supporters are warning that the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) plan to narrow its definition of when contractors and franchisees are “joint employers” subject to labor laws is unlawful, adding to their concern that the proposal could limit OSHA's ability to enforce worker safety requirements.
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The Senate health committee is planning to hold another hearing to consider the nomination of Scott Mugno, the former FedEx executive who the Trump administration first nominated to lead OSHA in 2017, though sources say his prospects for confirmation remain dim as senators remain at odds over labor policy personnel and other issues.
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House Democrats have tapped Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), a key player in Democrats' successful efforts to block a legislative waiver for agriculture retailers from OSHA's process safety management (PSM) standard, to lead the subcommittee that will oversee OSHA and worker safety issues in the 116th Congress.
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