Federal Agencies

Washington — OSHA has made available $10.5 million in grants to improve worker safety and health as part of its Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, the agency has announced.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has made progress addressing “historical timeliness and transparency challenges” in its Integrated Risk Information System Program’s assessment process, the Government Accountability Office concluded in a recently released report.

Washington — The Department of Labor will review all guidance documents issued by its agencies – including OSHA – to determine whether they require formal rulemaking, Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta told a Senate appropriations subcommittee May 2.

Washington — NIOSH is gauging the feasibility of a national registry intended to track cases of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer linked to on-the-job exposure to asbestos.

Washington — With a new Democratic majority, a House subcommittee is proposing sizable funding boosts for OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, according to a draft bill released April 29.

Washington — The Department of Transportation has issued a final rule, effective immediately, that makes minor technical corrections to regulations governing drug tests for workers in safety-sensitive jobs.

Washington — AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka cautioned the public not to become “numb” to workplace fatalities and illnesses, as the labor federation released its annual report detailing the hazards workers face every day.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created a webpage that outlines specifics of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a national online database intended to provide – in real time – the names of commercial motor vehicle drivers who have failed drug and alcohol tests.

Washington — A coalition of groups representing worker rights has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency and Administrator Andrew Wheeler for not including workers in the agency’s final rule banning methylene chloride for consumer use.

Washington — NIOSH is looking for more than 1 million U.S. firefighters to take part in a voluntary registry, as the agency seeks to understand why those in the field are at greater risk for certain cancers.