Federal Agencies

Washington – David Zatezalo is the new assistant secretary of labor for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, after the Senate confirmed him Nov. 15 in a 52-46 vote.

Washington – A consolidated lawsuit against OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica final rule is “close to a resolution,” Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta said Nov. 15 during his first appearance before the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

Washington – The Department of Transportation will include four semi-synthetic opioids in its drug-testing program for DOT employees, according to a final rule published in the Nov. 13 Federal Register.

Washington – Contending that it lacks proper regulatory authority, the Chemical Safety Board on Nov. 14 voted to withdraw its recommendations issued to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement after its investigation into the April 2010 explosion and fire that killed 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Washington – The Department of Transportation has introduced a pilot program intended to promote the safe commercial operation and integration of unmanned aircraft systems – commonly known as drones – in agriculture, commerce, emergency management, human transportation and other sectors, according to a notice published in the Nov. 8 Federal Register.

Washington – OSHA is delaying its crane operator certification requirements by one year, publishing a final rule in the Nov. 9 Federal Register – just one day before the regulation was set to go into effect.

Washington – Raymond Martinez, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is one step closer to confirmation after the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee sent his nomination forward without opposition on Nov. 8.

Washington – The Department of Labor is looking to expand OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs and the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s compliance assistance for mine operators, DOL states in a draft of its Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2018 to 2022.

Washington – The National Transportation Safety Board made several recommendations to state and federal agencies, industry associations and other entities after concluding its investigation of an October 2016 multi-fatality crash in California.

Washington – A Federal Interagency Working Group coordinated by the White House National Security Council has developed safety recommendations for first responders exposed to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin.