Federal Agencies

A government shutdown would limit OSHA inspections to “life and property,” and a new initiative on respirable crystalline silica wouldn’t “get off the ground,” agency administrator Doug Parker said Sept. 27.

Washington — A new OSHA initiative is aimed at protecting workers in the engineered stone fabrication and installation industries from silica exposure.

Washington — Improving truckers’ access to safe parking is one of the initiatives being funded by more than $80 million in “high priority” grants from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Washington — A Mine Safety and Health Administration proposed rule intended to reduce worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica “does not demand enough from operators,” Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Alma Adams (D-NC) claim.

Washington — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division are collaborating to “elevate workplace justice issues of mutual interest across the country.”

Washington — A House committee has approved legislation that would set a limit on how long an acting secretary can lead the Department of Labor.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board says it “appreciates” a recent Environmental Protection Agency initiative that emphasizes compliance at chemical facilities that use the toxic substance hydrogen fluoride.

Washington — Federal regulation of autonomous trucks must “prioritize both workers and safety,” the International Brotherhood of Teamsters says.

Washington — A Mine Safety and Health Administration final rule that would require mine operators to have a written safety program for mobile and powered haulage equipment is a step closer to publication.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is asking for input on a possible new methodology for determining whether motor carriers are fit to operate safely.