Federal Agencies

Washington — As part of a settlement agreement, OSHA has issued a proposed rule that would grant exemptions to its Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard for work on or along railroad tracks.

Washington — Officials from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement met June 21 to discuss a BSEE-sponsored report that outlines strategies for enhancing bolting technology in offshore oil and gas operations, a press release from the agency states.

Washington — OSHA has published a fact sheet and Quick Card intended to help employers protect workers from exposure to lead at indoor firing ranges.

Washington — A “fundamental shift” is needed in the mining industry’s approach to coal dust exposure to help mitigate a surge in black lung disease among underground coal miners, according a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Washington — A leading House Democrat has sent a letter to Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta regarding OSHA’s reported decline in enforcement activities and its current inspector staffing level, among other subjects.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking comment on problem formulation documents for the first 10 chemicals slated for evaluation for potential health and environmental risks under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, as well as a systematic review approach document and a proposed significant new use rule for asbestos.

Washington — The Federal Aviation Administration should relax its “overly conservative” safety rules for commercial drone use to boost continued progress and integration, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.

Washington — A slight increase to OSHA’s budget and the continuation of the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program are proposed in a Senate appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019, while a report on the bill calls for the agency to resume “timely and public” reporting of worker fatalities on the OSHA website.

Washington — OSHA’s “clarifying amendments” to its beryllium standard for general industry will go into effect July 6, the agency has announced.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is seeking input on technologies that may help reduce incidents involving mobile equipment at surface mines, as well as belt conveyors at surface and underground mines, according to a Request for Information published in the June 26 Federal Register.