Labor

Washington – The House Budget Committee issued a report March 23 calling for “commonsense reforms” to OSHA enforcement that include barring the agency from issuing fines in certain situations.

Washington – OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee and its work groups are scheduled to meet April 25-26 in Washington.

Washington – OSHA has issued a final rule that revises requirements for face and eye protection for workers in general industry, construction and longshoring, as well as at shipyards and marine terminals.

Washington – OSHA has released its final rule on protecting workers from exposure to silica, marking the agency’s first updated regulation for the material since 1971.

Washington – The Food and Drug Administration has proposed banning powdered surgical gloves, powdered patient examination gloves and absorbable powder for lubricating surgical gloves in an effort to protect health care workers and patients from potentially fatal allergic reactions and other health problems.

Washington – OSHA’s proposed rule on beryllium is “a step in the right direction” but could be stronger, according to a pair of worker safety and health advocates who testified at an informal hearing on the proposal.

Kansas City, MO – Federal statistics show that more than 1 in 14 poultry-processing workers suffers recordable injuries or illnesses on the job – a far higher proportion than other private-sector workers.

Washington – More than 10,000 severe occupational injuries were reported to OSHA during the initial year of the agency’s new reporting requirement.

Washington – Safety knows no boundaries. A recent pact between the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and NASA aims to prevent injuries among oil and gas workers on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Washington – OSHA’s final rule on silica is expected to be published in the near future, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez told the House Education and the Workforce Committee during a March 16 hearing about the Department of Labor’s policies and priorities.