OSHA is announcing two virtual public meetings to gather comments and information ahead of United Nations meetings on chemical classification and labeling, in order to help shape the U.S. government’s position going into the international sessions.
September 16, 2026
The Labor Department (DOL) is agreeing to increase its data collection from recipients of the Black Lung Benefits Program to better track whether mine operators are providing the same level of medical coverage as the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, following a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation.
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One of the greatest emerging worker safety issues is the Trump administration’s continued efforts to slash funding for OSHA and other worker safety agencies, which if successful would hamper efforts to prevent illness, injuries and deaths, Biden-era OSHA chief Douglas Parker told a House panel May 13.
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New analysis from the progressive economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative finds OSHA’s failure to enact a national heat standard is contributing to as many as 1,500 worker deaths per year and that the lack of federal action is tied to “regulatory paralysis” driven by coordinated opposition from large business organizations.
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The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is agreeing with most of the recommendations from the Labor Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) aimed at improving the agency’s preparedness for mine emergencies, though it disputes it violated budgeting law and remains at odds over underground communication systems.
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A three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit appeared highly skeptical at recent oral argument of South Carolina’s effort to reinstate litigation challenging OSHA’s authority to require states to match annual increases to federal OSH Act penalties, questioning in part whether the state is making new arguments on appeal.
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The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has begun reviewing proposed changes to a Biden-era rule that set first-time respirable crystalline silica standards for coal mines and halved a prior limit for other types of mines, although it remains uncertain how the Trump administration may seek to change the limits.
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OSHA has scheduled a May 19-20 meeting of its construction-sector advisory panel to continue discussion about the agency’s plan to eliminate several chemical-specific respirator standards, after the panel April 1 recommended OSHA not proceed with the rulemakings until it had more time to consult with the committee.
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The American Chemistry Council (ACC) is petitioning EPA to correct several aspects the agency’s final TSCA risk evaluation for the rubber ingredient 1,3-butadiene (1,3-BD) as part of a broader effort to head off any changes to existing worker protection standards.
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Republican senators have introduced legislation to bar OSHA from finalizing the Biden-era proposal for a national heat standard following a letter to OSHA last month urging the agency to instead focus on “pragmatic solutions for preventing heat-related hazards in the workplaces.”
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