Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is seeking the reinstatement of both the functions and staff of a recently gutted National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) facility in West Virginia, arguing the cuts endanger the health and safety of coal miners and undermine decades of public health research.
September 17, 2026
California OSHA’s (Cal/OSHA) standards board is proposing the formation of a special panel to recommend actions to help fill voids in worker safety that may be created by the Trump administration’s near-elimination of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), including certifying personal protective equipment (PPE).
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A tissue paper manufacturer is urging the 6th Circuit to reverse an administrative law judge’s (ALJ) ruling upholding OSHA penalties for an alleged violation of so-called lockout/tagout safety standards, arguing the ALJ erred in finding the contested activity was not integral to production, which could have broad effects for the paper industry.
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Industry experts are urging chemical manufacturers to proactively share occupational exposure data with EPA during TSCA risk evaluations of existing chemicals, even if the data was collected for other regulatory purposes, and provide contextual details that could result in more accurate assessments.
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OSHA has announced plans to hold an informal public hearing in June on a Biden-era proposed rule aimed at preventing heat-related illnesses and deaths in the workplace, although it still remains uncertain whether the agency will finalize the rule amid industry and GOP lawmakers’ calls to scrap the rulemaking.
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California state senators are advancing a labor-backed bill to bar employers from relying on automated decision-making systems (ADS) to make a variety of employment decisions -- including those aimed at aiding worker safety -- without human oversight.
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Employer representatives are providing updated recommendations to California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) over its pending new policy to implement tougher penalties for “egregious” and “enterprise-wide” violations, fearing particularly punishing monetary fines for minor infractions across multiple sites.
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The 8th Circuit has stayed compliance deadlines of the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) silica rule amid industry concerns that MSHA’s voluntary pause on enforcement of the rule does not provide the certainty of a stay pending judicial review.
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President Donald Trump is stepping up his administration’s aggressive deregulatory agenda, issuing a memorandum requiring the repeal of OSHA and other agency rules that officials deem “unlawful” under recent Supreme Court precedents while also issuing ordering several agencies to begin considering a “sunset” of rules related to energy production.
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A West Virginia coal miner is challenging the Trump administration’s near elimination of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), arguing the move violates provisions of mine safety law by disrupting health surveillance and job transfer programs for miners with respiratory diseases.
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