The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) is now opposing OSHA’s proposal to remove medical evaluation requirements from its respirator standard and is urging the agency not to proceed with the proposed rule -- a shift in position spurred by a similar recommendation from an OSHA advisory panel.
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.
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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.
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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.
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OSHA is “highly unlikely” to finalize a national heat illness standard before the end of the Trump administration, despite its October 2027 goal, a former agency official says, noting OSHA’s plan to significantly revise the Biden-era proposal and seek additional comment even though the standards office has had large staffing cuts.
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The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is planning to quickly finalize more than a dozen deregulatory actions it proposed last year, although it plans to hold a public hearing on its controversial proposal to eliminate the authority for a district manager to require additional measures in roof control plans.
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OSHA is planning to take “final action” on a Biden-era proposal that would require employers to create a plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in their workplace by October 2027, according to the agency’s latest Unified Agenda of regulatory actions, although it remains uncertain what that action will be.
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The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has finalized four rules to remove outdated requirements after the proposals dealing with conveyor belts, blacksmith shops, diesel particulate matter (DPM) emission limits and flame safety lamps received no opposing comments.
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EPA has preliminarily identified three conditions of use (COUs) of a wildly used flame retardant known TBBPA that pose unreasonable risks to workers, which if finalized could set first-time occupational limits for a chemical that OSHA has not regulated.
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The Agriculture Department (USDA) is optimistic that its proposals to increase processing speeds at poultry and pork slaughterhouses will be upheld in court, pointing to a 2025 Supreme Court ruling that it says eliminated the need to consider worker safety, which is not part of USDA’s authority.
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