Federal Agencies

Washington – The Department of Transportation has announced a notice of proposed rulemaking intended to improve safe rail transportation of crude oil, ethanol and other flammable materials.

Washington – OSHA recently sent a memo about its Temporary Worker Initiative to regional administrators.

Washington – No federal entity is responsible for strategic planning and oversight of high-containment laboratories, the Government Accountability Office concludes in a new report.

Research Triangle Park, NC – The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is seeking applications for cooperative agreements to develop model programs for hazardous materials safety training.

Bismarck, ND – OSHA is sending additional inspectors into North Dakota as part of an enforcement emphasis program intended to address worker safety concerns in the state’s high-hazard industries.

Washington – Operators of trucks with good safety records would receive a reduced regulatory burden when transporting explosives, under a newly proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Washington – Truck drivers who use laptops, tablets or smartphones to update their records of duty status no longer will have to print and sign paper copies of the documents, according to new regulatory guidance from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Washington – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering new rules to help prevent fatalities caused by vehicles sliding underneath tractor-trailers and single-unit trucks.

Washington – In response to recent worker deaths at demolition sites, OSHA has updated its webpage and safety resources addressing common hazards in the construction demolition industry.

Arlington, VA – Long-haul trucking that crosses the United States-Mexico border will be the subject of an upcoming meeting at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s National Training Center.