Labor

Arlington, VA – A new voluntary consensus standard for determining whether personal protective equipment meets performance standards has been approved by the American National Standards Institute.

Washington – The Spray Foam Coalition – part of the American Chemistry Council’s Center for the Polyurethanes Industry – has adopted a new code of conduct aimed at improving health and safety among its member companies.

Washington – Is OSHA overstepping its authority and ignoring congressional mandates? This question was debated at a Feb. 4 House Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing, during which subcommittee chair Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) suggested the agency has circumvented the public rulemaking process through several actions that “dramatically” changed existing policies.

Arlington, VA – Mine safety has been on an upward trend since 2010 thanks to a number of initiatives from the Mine Safety and Health Administration, agency head Joseph A. Main said Jan. 30.

Washington – Dorothy Dougherty has been appointed as OSHA’s new assistant administrator, the agency announced Jan. 30.

East Lansing, MI – Conducting work at home on a smartphone at night may make it hard for employees to sleep, leaving them with less energy the next day, according to two new studies from Michigan State University.

Washington – Employers do not have to pay workers for time spent putting on and taking off personal protective equipment, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Jan. 27.

Winston-Salem, NC – Baserunning injuries in professional baseball occur most frequently during tag plays at home plate, concludes a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Washington – For the second time, OSHA has extended the public comment period on proposed updates to its crystalline silica rule, the agency announced Jan. 24.

Washington – OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet March 11 in Washington.