At the request of Congress, NIOSH is seeking comment on the feasibility of creating a national mesothelioma registry, an effort the agency says could help improve prevention and treatment of workers' exposure to asbestos -- the main pathway to contracting the fatal disease.
A coalition convened by NIOSH is calling for more research to limit workplace harms for firefighters, law enforcement and other public safety workers, prioritizing research on ways to reduce chronic and infectious diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, motor vehicle injuries and workplace violence, an issue that Democrats are also seeking to address.
In a split decision, OSHA's review commission has reversed an agency citation issued under its General Duty Clause authority that sought to penalize a construction company whose employee died from heat stress, a ruling that labor advocates say raises the bar for such cases and shows the need for OSHA to develop a heat stress prevention standard.
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.
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.”
The Labor Department (DOL) is appealing an administrative law judge's (ALJ) decision voiding an OSHA citation against a security company for not requiring its armed guards to wear bulletproof vests, arguing in part that OSHA's 2014 policy expanding application of its personal protective equipment (PPE) standard to include bulletproof vests was applicable in this case.
Two House Democrats responsible for funding the Labor Department are urging officials to craft by next April a “comprehensive strategy on enforcement” to address concerns about child labor safety in the agriculture sector after a recent watchdog report found the sector is responsible for a disproportionate number of child labor fatalities.
Citing risks of climate change, Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) is crafting a bill for introduction in the next Congress that would require OSHA to develop “federal heat protection standards” for workers and require employers to provide safe workplaces with water, rest, and shade, a measure that supporters say may be the most viable means of requiring such a standard.
A coalition convened by NIOSH is calling for a review of existing ergonomic guidelines to ensure they are appropriate for current work environments, opening the door to a debate on whether current policies are adequate to protect against harms in food processing and other sectors.
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.