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Washington — Alarmed by a recent spike in cases of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, a deadly but preventable condition commonly known as black lung, union presidents Cecil Roberts of the United Mine Workers of America and Leo Gerard of United Steelworkers have sent a letter to Mine Safety and Health Administration leader David Zatezalo requesting stricter regulation of respirable silica dust.

Washington — NIOSH is accepting nominations for the 2020 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards, which honor professionals who contribute to preventing noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus through effective practices or innovations.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board will look into its recent decision to not include in its reports the names of workers who died in chemical incidents, interim Executive Authority Kristen Kulinowski said during a June 25 public business meeting.

Washington — Nearly two years after the Federal Railroad Administration first published a final rule requiring commuter and intercity passenger railroads to develop and implement system safety programs, the process has hit another hurdle.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General is investigating the effectiveness and integrity of USDA’s procedures to develop and advance a controversial proposed rule that would remove maximum line speeds in pork-processing plants, according to a letter obtained by multiple media outlets.

Washington — OSHA should apply its Process Safety Management standard to the drilling of onshore oil and gas wells, or – if not – customize it to oil and gas drilling operations or develop a new standard, the Chemical Safety Board recommends in its final report on a deadly January 2018 gas well blowout and rig fire in Oklahoma.

Philadelphia — Millennials are three times more likely than baby boomers to think that co-workers would negatively judge them for taking a lunch break, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by Tork, a napkin manufacturer for the food service industry.

Trenton, NJ — Calling it the first state law of its kind, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on June 11 signed a bill intended to help protect hotel housekeeping and room service workers against assault and harassment.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration’s planned Request for Information on respirable crystalline silica, scheduled for publication in July, will focus on personal protective equipment – mainly helmets with respirators – according to agency chief David Zatezalo.

Tumwater, WA — A new hazard alert from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries outlines the roles, responsibilities and procedures of erecting and dismantling tower cranes.