Federal Agencies

Washington — The Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, has released a video intended to protect first responders who face potential exposure to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a final rule intended to ease restrictions on commercial motor vehicle drivers whose insulin-treated diabetes mellitus is under control, according to a notice published in the Sept. 19 Federal Register.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration will renew the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee’s charter, according to a notice published in the Sept. 19 Federal Register.

Federal regulations often take years – sometimes decades – to come to fruition. In the current presidential administration, the focus is on deregulation – and experts say the process of rolling back a rule can prove just as slow.

Washington — OSHA is not doing enough to ensure it has complete information on work-related deaths and severe injuries, and is not consistent in citing establishments that fail to file required reports, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General states in an audit report released Sept. 13.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is extending to Oct. 10 the comment period for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on its hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers.

Washington — Entrapment from floor collapse, burns and asphyxiation are among the dangers faced by firefighters who respond to fires in basements and other below-grade areas, according to a recently published report from NIOSH.

Washington — OSHA is set to receive a $5 million budget increase, after the House and Senate resolved their differences in a Sept. 13 congressional conference committee meeting on a “minibus” appropriations bill.

Washington — NIOSH has published its National Occupational Research Agenda for Wholesale and Retail Trade, as well as its NORA for Traumatic Injury Prevention – both intended to spotlight the research, information and actions most needed to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses.

Washington — The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is accepting comments until Oct. 9 on potential revisions to its procedural rules, in part to reflect technological advances, according to a notice published in the Sept. 7 Federal Register.