News

Boston – Six members of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, alleging that FMCSA is unlawfully releasing reports of driver safety records to potential employers.

Washington – The Department of Transportation has announced a notice of proposed rulemaking intended to improve safe rail transportation of crude oil, ethanol and other flammable materials.

Washington – OSHA’s Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health is scheduled to meet Aug. 19-20 in Washington.

Atlanta – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a publication that focuses on infertility issues, including the role of workplace exposures, in men and women.

Washington – No federal entity is responsible for strategic planning and oversight of high-containment laboratories, the Government Accountability Office concludes in a new report.

Washington – Sixty-seven law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty during the first half of 2014 – a 31 percent increase from the same period last year, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund released July 22.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency has reissued a warning to home improvement contractors and air-conditioning technicians about using flammable refrigerants.

Washington – Coal miners seeking benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act wait hundreds of days for their cases to be heard, despite government efforts to speed up the process, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) claimed during a July 22 hearing of the Senate Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee.

Portland, OR – Worker fatalities in Oregon dipped to their lowest level in at least seven years in 2012, according to a new report from the Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program.

Whitewater, WI – One-third of residential construction contractors who participated in a recent study said their firms lacked written safety programs, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.