Federal Agencies

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board has released an animated video that examines the cause of last year’s ExxonMobil refinery fire, which severely burned four workers in Baton Rouge, LA.

Washington – OSHA has published a guide intended to help small businesses comply with the agency’s standard on worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica for general industry and maritime.

Washington – OSHA has created a webpage intended to help workers and employers involved with the agency’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (1910.120) for construction and general industry.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safety Measurement System is “sound,” but the agency should consider a “more statistically principled approach” for evaluating the safety of commercial motor vehicle carriers, the National Academies of Sciences concluded after an 18-month review of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.

Washington – OSHA has announced that $10.5 million in grants is available as part of the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, which may be heading for elimination in fiscal year 2018 after almost 40 years of existence.

Washington – OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application will be available Aug. 1, allowing employers to electronically enter their required 2016 injury and illness data from Form 300A, the agency announced July 14.

Washington – OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration are in line for slightly deeper cuts in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee's funding bill released July 12. NIOSH, meanwhile, is slated to receive $125.2 million more than originally proposed.

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board is a step closer to avoiding elimination after, at a July 11 meeting, the House Appropriations Committee allocated $11 million for the agency for fiscal year 2018.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has launched its annual campaign intended to promote roof and rib fall hazard awareness among coal miners and mine operators, while also focusing on continuous mining machine operator safety.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has launched a touring educational campaign aimed at assisting commercial motor vehicle drivers in their transition to electronic logging devices.