Federal Agencies

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 – Loren Sweatt is the new OSHA deputy assistant secretary of labor, the agency has announced. Her appointment was effective July 24.

Arlington, VA – Prompted by insufficient inspections of wire rope incorrectly determined to be safe for service, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert regarding nondestructive testing and wire rope examinations.

Washington – In an effort to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders, NIOSH has released a mobile app based on the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation, an internationally recognized standard for safe manual lifting.

Washington – The second of two public meetings to discuss how OSHA can “reshape” its Voluntary Protection Programs is scheduled for Aug. 28 in New Orleans.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration did not issue any Pattern of Violations notices for the third consecutive year, the federal agency announced Aug. 2. The most recent screening period for the 13,000-plus mining operations in the United States was July 1, 2016, to June 30.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency has cleared a backlog of more than 600 safety reviews of new chemicals, the agency announced Aug. 7.

Washington – In the latest attempt to push back a federal mandate requiring commercial motor vehicle drivers to use electronic logging devices in place of paper logs to track hours of service, Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) has proposed legislation that would delay the rule’s implementation for two years.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration have withdrawn an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on obstructive sleep apnea.

Silver Spring, MD – The AFL-CIO’s Executive Council has denounced efforts to roll back federal laws and regulations that “have protected working people on the job” for more than 50 years.