Labor and safer chemicals groups are threatening to sue EPA within 60 days in a bid to compel the agency to finalize an Obama-era proposed rule banning use of methylene chloride (MC) in paint strippers, noting that former Administrator Scott Pruitt committed to the rule.
A senior Trump administration official says EPA is planning a significant rollback of an Obama-era facility safety rule, arguing against significant disclosure of facility data that the original rule requires and backing the Labor Department's lead in process safety.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is formally reviewing a draft OSHA plan for collecting information on possible changes, long sought by industry, to ease the agency's so-called lockout/tagout safety standard that applies to power equipment that is shut off during repair work.
Brushing aside concerns from Democrats and labor unions, the Trump administration has proposed reinstating an exemption from Labor Department (DOL) rules to allow teens to operate powered patient lifts in healthcare, arguing that guidance from OSHA and other agencies is sufficient to mitigate any risks.
OSHA's recently-updated Unified Agenda of pending rules shows the Trump administration continuing to advance rollbacks of major Obama-era rules, some at a delayed pace, spurring renewed criticism from labor advocates who argue the agency is failing to significantly advance necessary worker health and safety regulations.
The Trump administration is expanding its rollback of an Obama-era injury and illness reporting rule with a new memo that critics say will curtail OSHA enforcement of the rule's anti-retaliation provisions, as dozens of Senate Democrats are urging the agency to drop a proposed rule that would limit the reporting requirements of the Obama rule.
Chemical industry attorneys are urging EPA to accelerate its plan to undo Obama-era changes tightening the risk management plan (RMP) facility safety program, after the agency opted against appealing a court ruling that scrapped the Trump administration's delay of the revisions and reinstated looming compliance deadlines.
OSHA is advancing plans for a safety standard to protect communications tower workers from falls and other hazards, seeking input on documents supporting a small business advisors' review this summer of effects of a rule on employers, though a former agency official says Trump administration deregulatory orders dim the rule's prospects.
The Center for Progressive Reform (CPR), which advocates for strict public health and environment rules, is urging OSHA to craft new standards to protect workers from hazards they face when responding to disasters such as hurricanes, including new protections from ergonomic risks and heat stress, and greater enforcement during disaster responses.
Industry groups are urging OSHA to broaden its proposed rollback of an Obama-era injury and illness reporting rule to further curtail requirements for electronic reporting of injury data and the rule's anti-retaliation provisions, while labor groups and Democratic state officials are arguing the proposed revisions are unwarranted and will harm worker safety.