Federal Agencies

Washington – President Barack Obama has designated Patrick Nakamura as acting chairman of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

Washington – OSHA has awarded $10.7 million in grants to 78 nonprofit organizations to help fund safety education and training for workers and employers.

Washington – Beginning next year, employers will be required to report all in-patient hospitalizations and amputations to OSHA, under a final rule released Sept. 11.

Washington – Federal officials are taking steps to prevent deadly incidents similar to one that occurred in 2013, when an unattended freight train shipping crude oil derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, killing 47 people.

Washington – William Perry is the new director of OSHA’s Directorate of Standards and Guidance, the agency announced Sept. 8.

Washington – In response to a pair of helicopter crashes near offshore oil platforms, the National Transportation Safety Board has published several safety recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents.

Washington – The Office of Management and Budget has completed its review of an OSHA recordkeeping and reporting regulation, paving the way for the agency to publish a final rule.

Washington – The White House has delayed important safety proposals, and new investigations highlight the damaging effects of budget cuts for safety and health agencies, concludes an annual review conducted by two prominent public health bloggers.

Olympia, WA – Employers, OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics all could play a role in improving the accuracy of injury and illness reporting, according to a recent study of employers in Washington state.

Arlington, VA – A coalition of transportation groups is asking the Department of Transportation to direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to remove motor carrier safety scores from public view, saying research has shown the data is unreliable.