News

Oakbrook Terrace, IL — Prompted by OSHA data showing that about three-quarters of workplace assaults occur in health care and social service settings, accreditation organization The Joint Commission has released a Sentinel Event Alert on the issue.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration is pushing back another year the deadlines for rail industry employers, contractors and subcontractors to submit training programs for employees who perform “safety-related service,” according to a notice published in the April 27 Federal Register.

Washington — Workers in the trucking and railroad industries filed the most whistleblower complaints in 2017, according to OSHA, prompting the agency to schedule a public meeting on whistleblower issues for industry stakeholders.

Washington — The Center for Progressive Reform is calling for legislation to end the Congressional Review Act and restore the rules eliminated under it, in a report released May 2.

Olympia, WA — Pesticide spray tanks are considered confined spaces if they’re big enough to enter (through a manhole cover or access port) and occupy, and require a permit for full or partial entry, emphasizes a new hazard alert from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Washington — OSHA will extend the compliance date for its beryllium standard for general industry and change certain ancillary provisions in the final rule, according to a settlement agreement between the agency and four petitioners.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration intends to issue a safety advisory regarding railroad operations during temporary signal suspensions and is seeking public comment on a draft.

Washington — Advocacy groups Farmworker Justice and Earthjustice filed a joint Freedom of Information Act lawsuit April 17 seeking Environmental Protection Agency meeting notes related to a pair of regulatory changes regarding worker protection.

Washington — OSHA and the trucking industry have partnered on a flier intended to raise awareness of the three most common hazards tractor-trailer drivers face after reaching their destinations.

San Francisco — Despite a decrease in opioid use among people who have health insurance through their employer, large employers have experienced a sharp increase in costs for treating opioid addiction and overdoses among their workers, according to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.