Regulations/Legislation

Washington – Three Democratic senators are seeking to criminalize the concealment of corporate actions or products that could pose a threat of death or serious injury to workers and consumers.

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 Office of Management and Budget is reviewing a controversial U.S. Department of Agriculture final rule that would speed up poultry-processing lines, a move safety advocates warn could lead to more worker injuries.

Washington – New legislation that would eliminate the use of food and beverage containers made with bisphenol A (commonly known as BPA) received praise from labor groups, who claim the chemical is hazardous to workers.

Washington – The House has approved an amendment to fund pipeline safety measures as part of the 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act.

Washington – A bill that includes an amendment to suspend hours-of-service restart provisions for truck drivers has been pulled from the Senate floor.

Washington – A bill introduced June 17 by two members of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee would authorize a new safety institute for short-line railroads.

Washington – Prompted by the 2013 fire and explosion that killed 12 firefighters at a Texas fertilizer facility, as well as other recent incidents, OSHA is considering the development of a standard on emergency response and preparedness.

Washington – OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency should revise ammonium nitrate regulations to provide better oversight of facilities that use the chemical compound, which has been involved in several major incidents over the past century, according to a Government Accountability report released May 19.

Washington – OSHA intends to issue final rules on personal protective equipment; confined spaces; and slips, trips and falls by the end of the year, according to the recently published semiannual regulatory agenda.