S+H Staff

Whenever I write about Office of Management and Budget reviews for potential standards, I say it’s a process that “typically” takes 90 days. But that process has become anything but typical in light of OMB’s yearlong review of OSHA’s Crystalline Silica Standard.

Baltimore – Additional research should be conducted on motor vehicle deaths among American Indian and Alaskan Native populations – which have the highest death rates of any race or ethnic group in the United States – according to a study from the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy.

Washington – Safety concerns about a provision in a proposed House transportation spending bill that would have increased the weight and size limits for trucks on interstates led the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to amend the provision by first requiring a three-year study.

Washington – Congress passed a budget bill on Feb. 3 that will provide the Federal Aviation Administration with funding for new aviation and pilot safety initiatives.

Philadelphia – Multiple passengers can influence teen drivers before collisions and are associated with factors that contribute to risky driving behavior, according to two studies from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance.

Atlanta – Nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population consumes too much sodium, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington – In light of recent courtroom shootings that have injured law enforcement and judicial personnel, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) introduced a bill Feb. 7 to increase security at local courthouses.

Washington – NIOSH recently issued a report on lessons learned from the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The report found that NIOSH, given its limited resources, should decide what role it will play in future large-scale disaster events and that federal agencies need standardized tools for data collection and information posting.

Washington – NIOSH is proposing to conduct a survey of Latino workers to compare differences in how immigrants and American-born workers view workplace safety.

Washington – The Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health is scheduled to meet Feb. 22-23 in Washington to discuss injury and illness prevention programs.