Kyle W. Morrison

Following Hilda L. Solis’ announcement that she is stepping down as secretary of labor, several people and groups offered a few words regarding her service.

OSHA takes far too long to approve laboratories tasked with testing products to see if they meet consensus-based safety standards, according to a new report. Read about this story and more in the first OSHA Roundup of the New Year.

Safety+Health’s December 2012 issue included an article listing OSHA’s Top 10 most frequently cited standards for the year and featuring an exclusive Q&A with Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs. We had additional questions for the agency on enforcement and compliance assistance but didn’t get a chance to run the responses in the December issue.

For safety professionals, success with their work-related resolutions could mean the difference between injury-inducing hazards and a safe workplace.

What is the White House currently working on, in terms of worker-safety regulation? Nearly a year has passed since the administration published its last Unified Agenda, which details all “economically significant” regulations currently under development or review, or expected to be addressed within 12 months of the agenda’s publication.

In S+H’s annual State of Safety feature, stakeholders discuss the correlation between the ongoing economic recovery and injury rates, and speculate on what may occur if the economy continues to pick up steam. Also, read about how some safety and health pros have changed their message to “sell” safety in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and how new data may help employers keep workers safer.

Due to the upcoming holidays, Washington Wire will be taking a short break until Jan. 2.

Following the horrific rampage at a Connecticut elementary school, safety experts are examining what can be done in making schools safer for children and for those who teach them.

Nonprofit groups push for OSHA’s budget to remain stable, and the agency once again delays full enforcement of its residential construction fall protection rule. Read these stories and more in this week’s OSHA Roundup.

James Hodgson, the secretary of labor who helped usher OSHA into existence, died Nov. 28. He was 96.