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On May 1, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a National Emphasis Program (NEP) of outreach and enforcement for falls from height across all industries. OSHA’s construction industry fall protection standard (29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1926.501) remains the agency’s most frequently cited standard, cited 5,260 times in fiscal year (FY) 2022. […]
On May 2, the Department of Transportation (DOT) adopted a rule recognizing oral fluid drug testing as an alternative to urine testing for safety-sensitive positions in all regulated industries, including aviation, motor carrier, rail, and transit. The final rule (88 Fed. Reg. 27596) becomes effective June 1. The final rule harmonizes DOT and Federal Motor […]
In April 2023, the EPA announced a proposed rule to strengthen and update the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for coal-fired power plants, achieving important hazardous air pollutant emissions reductions and ensuring standards reflect the latest advancements in pollution control technologies. If passed, the rule represents the most significant update to date since the […]
An administrative law judge (ALJ) with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission upheld the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) citation of UHS of Delaware Inc. (UHS-DE) and UHS of Fuller Inc. for exposing their employees to workplace violence without adequate protections at the Fuller Hospital in Attleboro, Massachusetts, OSHA announced April 25. Review […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) again cited discount retailers Dollar Tree and Dollar General for blocked exit routes in their stores. On April 24, the agency announced it’s seeking $770,136 in penalties for hazards related to obstructed exits, unsafe storage of materials, fire, and other hazards at Dollar Tree stores in East Providence […]
On March 29, 2023, Maine Attorney General (AG) Aaron Frey announced he filed two lawsuits against manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and PFAS-containing products. “The lawsuits allege that the manufacturers, DuPont and 3M, among others, have known for decades that PFAS pose serious risks to human health and the environment, but instead promoted […]
Last month, insurance giant Chubb Limited announced it will require evidence-based reduction of methane emissions from companies seeking underwriting for oil and gas extraction projects. It also announced it won’t provide insurance coverage for oil and gas projects in government-protected conservation areas in the World Database on Protected Areas that don’t allow for sustainable use. […]
The EPA issued a decision on March 31, 2023, granting two requests for waivers of preemption regarding four California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations related to California’s heavy-duty vehicle and engine emissions standards. California has significant air quality standard challenges. In order to reduce emissions, the state must seek waivers from the EPA for new […]
Federal safety inspectors found that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) endangered maintenance workers at its healthcare facility in Prescott, Ariz., by allowing them to work on steam lines without ensuring they followed required safety procedures. Similar hazards previously killed two workers at a VA facility in Connecticut. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety […]
On April 19, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced that Meeder Equipment Company, a Rancho Cucamonga, California, equipment company, faces $272,250 in fines for serious safety violations following a confined space death of a worker who suffocated in a 10,000-gallon propane gas tank. On August 18, 2022, a mechanic employed by […]