News

Washington – OSHA has stated that it will change some of the processes in its Voluntary Protection Programs, after a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General audit uncovered several weaknesses in recording and reporting systems involving contract workers.

Washington – The House on Sept. 14 passed all of its appropriations bills, including one that would fund OSHA, NIOSH, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. That set of bills, however, likely will not get through the Senate in its current form.

Stockholm – Working in the cold increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers at the Karolinska Institute.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is proposing to amend a final rule intended to improve pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines, as well as delay its effective date until March 2, according to separate notices published in the Sept. 12 Federal Register.

Washington – Emergency medical services workers have higher rates of work-related injuries than the general workforce and three times the lost workday rate of all private-industry workers, according to a new fact sheet from NIOSH.

Washington – The House has rejected the latest attempt to delay by two years the implementation of a federal mandate requiring commercial motor vehicle drivers to use electronic logging devices in place of paper logs to track hours of service.

Washington – A Senate appropriations bill has OSHA, NIOSH, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration maintaining their current funding levels, and also seeks to keep OSHA’s Susan Harwood Training Grant Program off the chopping block.

Silver Spring, MD – Workers who frequently drill concrete can reduce their exposure to noise, silica and vibration by regularly replacing dull drill bits with new, sharp ones, according to a recent study from the Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR.

Washington – Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is asking Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta to address concerns regarding the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s temporary Compliance Assistance Program aimed at preventing injuries and deaths among less-experienced miners.

Washington – NIOSH has launched a software platform designed to chart emergency responder and recovery worker safety and health before, during and after providing aid to natural disasters victims or other public health emergencies.