Industry trade groups and individual companies are asking the 5th Circuit to scrap EPA’s rule governing methylene chloride for a litany of reasons, saying the agency ignored research on the chemical’s dangers, improperly refused to consider their workers’ use of protective gear and misapplied science to craft a strict workplace exposure limit, among other claims.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit is weighing an enforcement appeal about the bar employers must clear to show compliance with OSHA’s machine-guarding standard, including whether they can rely on evidence that their safety practices are in line with “industry custom” -- a claim that an attorney for the agency said at oral argument could “eviscerate the OSH Act” if judges back it.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit is weighing an enforcement appeal about the bar employers must clear to show compliance with OSHA’s machine-guarding standard, including whether they can rely on evidence that their safety practices are in line with “industry custom” -- a claim that an attorney for the agency said at oral argument could “eviscerate the OSH Act” if judges back it.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says OSHA must do more to address musculoskeletal injuries and ergonomic hazards in warehouses and so-called “last-mile” delivery services as the e-commerce industry continues to rapidly expand, though the agency is only agreeing with some of its recommendations.

Unions and worker-safety advocates are asking the D.C. Circuit to hold that TSCA forbids the agency from considering workers’ use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when evaluating chemicals’ risks, saying its rule on the subject shows a “fundamental misunderstanding” of OSHA’s requirements for employers to provide protective gear.

Unions and worker-safety advocates are asking the D.C. Circuit to hold that TSCA forbids the agency from considering workers’ use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when evaluating chemicals’ risks, saying its rule on the subject shows a “fundamental misunderstanding” of OSHA’s requirements for employers to provide protective gear.

OSHA chief Douglas Parker says the agency is seeking to adopt “a more strategic approach” to enforcement and compliance assistance for its safety standards on fall prevention and silica dust, including outreach to smaller residential construction projects, while touting a 20 percent year-to-year drop in falling deaths.

OSHA chief Douglas Parker says the agency is seeking to adopt “a more strategic approach” to enforcement and compliance assistance for its safety standards on fall prevention and silica dust, including outreach to smaller residential construction projects, while touting a 20 percent year-to-year drop in falling deaths.

OSHA chief Douglas Parker says he is looking to employers’ comments to help fill gaps in OSHA’s data on workplace heat dangers and mitigation methods as the agency crafts a long-awaited rule on the subject, telling viewers on an Oct. 9 webinar that the wide scope of its proposed standard “raises lots of issues” that will require stakeholder input to resolve.

OSHA chief Douglas Parker says he is looking to employers’ comments to help fill gaps in OSHA’s data on workplace heat dangers and mitigation methods as the agency crafts a long-awaited rule on the subject, telling viewers on an Oct. 9 webinar that the wide scope of its proposed standard “raises lots of issues” that will require stakeholder input to resolve.