Federal Agencies

Washington – OSHA is seeking a one-year delay on crane operator certification requirements scheduled to go into effect in November.

Washington – NIOSH and the California Department of Public Health have collaborated on a video intended to protect oil and gas extraction workers from deadly hazards linked to manual gauging and fluid sampling on production tanks.

Anchorage, AK – Vessel disasters and falls overboard are the primary hazards experienced by workers in commercial fishing – an industry with a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average – according to a recent NIOSH analysis of four U.S. regions.

Washington – NIOSH is seeking public comment on a draft of the National Occupational Research Agenda for Manufacturing, a document intended to outline the industry’s most important occupational safety and health research needs for the next decade.

Washington – Responding to ongoing damage in the Gulf Coast region caused by Hurricane Harvey, the Chemical Safety Board has issued a safety alert warning oil and chemical facility workers to follow special precautions when restarting in the wake of the storm.

As expected, potential regulatory action from OSHA has been cut by more than half, according to the Department of Labor's most recent regulatory agenda.

Washington – Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta on Aug. 21 appointed Wayne Palmer acting assistant secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Washington – Heather MacDougall is the new chair of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, sworn in Aug. 16 after being appointed by President Donald Trump.

Washington – Four senators are asking Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao for the data and information her department used in its decision to withdraw a proposed rule on obstructive sleep apnea.

Atlanta – In an effort to help employers start or expand employee health promotion programs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created the Workplace Health Resource Center website.