Labor

Washington — The House Appropriations Committee has approved the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which includes more than $8 million in funding for the Chemical Safety Board.

Washington — Chemical facilities should establish safety management systems “even in the absence of regulatory requirements” and communicate lessons from past incidents to help keep workers safe, the Chemical Safety Board says.

Salem, OR — Health care workers in Oregon have new protections against on-the-job violence, under a law signed July 17 by Gov. Tina Kotek (D).

Washington — Inspections of various offshore facilities recently conducted by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement identified a lack of proper documentation and tagging of temporarily out-of-service safety devices.

Washington — Bipartisan legislation recently reintroduced in both the House and Senate would require OSHA to develop a standard to protect workers from heat-related injuries and illnesses in indoor and outdoor settings.

Washington — Efforts to expand OSHA’s compliance assistance programs clashed with the Trump administration’s push to cut federal safety agency staffing, budgets and regulations during a July 16 House Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing.

Washington — OSHA can provide penalty reductions to more employers, specifically smaller ones, under updated guidance that went into effect July 14.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA is inviting workplaces across the state to take part in its 20th annual Take a Stand for Workplace Safety week.

Arlington, VA — Bulldozer operators in coal mines should keep the machinery on stable ground and away from feeders to avoid entrapment, the Mine Safety and Health Administration advises in a recent safety alert.

Hartford, CT — Although the frequency of workplace injuries has decreased in recent years, the average recovery time for those injuries has increased, according to a new report from insurance provider The Travelers Cos.