Items Tagged with 'osha'

Washington – Gauging the effectiveness of federal and state-run OSHA programs is one of the Department of Labor’s biggest challenges, according to the DOL Office of Inspector General.

As the reported number of worker fatalities and injuries continues to trend downward, budgetary uncertainty may affect OSHA’s role in helping to create safer workplaces. And after more than 40 years of the agency’s existence, how has that role evolved?

Employment is booming in the oil and gas industry – but fatalities hit an all-time high in 2012. Through efforts such as a nationwide safety stand-down in November, OSHA, NIOSH, and the oil and gas industry are collaborating to address the dangers these workers face.

Calling current permissible exposure limits “antiquated” and “dangerously out of date,” OSHA administrator David Michaels unveiled two web-based resources he said will help companies keep workers safer around chemicals.