Washington — The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved Julie Su’s nomination for labor secretary for a second time, with an 11-10 party-line vote on Feb. 27.

Orlando, FL — The National Safety Council awarded six safety professionals with its highest honor Monday during the Opening Session of the 2024 Safety Congress & Expo.

Kingston, Ontario – Women who have worked the night shift for 30 or more years may have an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study from Queen’s University.

Washington – OSHA has announced it will issue a proposed rule to revise the agency’s standards on occupational exposure to crystalline silica.

Washington – NIOSH is seeking comment on a draft update to the agency’s carcinogen policy.

Washington – OSHA’s current rule on silica is based on obsolete analytical data, and exposure at the current permissible exposure limit results in “significant risks of death” from cancer and other diseases, the agency said during a Jan. 14 webchat that discussed proposed updates to the rule.

Washington – Three weeks of informal hearings regarding OSHA’s proposed crystalline silica rulemaking are set to kick off on March 18.

Washington – Firefighters who work for federal agencies and contract certain diseases on the job would be ensured federal workers’ compensation coverage under newly introduced bipartisan legislation.

San Francisco – Pilots and cabin crew have about twice the incidence of melanoma – the most serious type of skin cancer – compared to the general population, a recent study indicates.

Washington – The Department of Health and Human Services has added four substances to its list of cancer hazards, according to the agency’s 13th Report on Carcinogens.

Washington – Employees who work with stone countertops are at risk of crystalline silica exposure, and employers should take steps to protect them, OSHA and NIOSH stated Feb. 18 in a joint hazard alert.

New York – A new survey from the nonprofit organization Cancer and Careers has found that nearly 75 percent of cancer patients and survivors want to work but must contend with challenges, such as fatigue, that can affect their performance.

Villejuif, France – Occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene may increase the risk of head and neck cancer in women, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the journal BMJ Open.

Washington — Bipartisan legislation to establish and maintain a voluntary registry intended to improve research into firefighters’ risks of cancer was passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on April 24.

Philadelphia — Knowledge is power when it comes to outdoor workers protecting themselves from skin cancer, new research from the American Association for Cancer Research suggests.

Boston — A group of researchers from the Boston University schools of medicine and public health has developed what it calls a “fast, accurate and cost-effective approach” to test whether certain chemicals increase people’s cancer risk.

Washington — NIOSH is looking for participants for a soon-to-launch registry intended to aid research on understanding and preventing firefighters’ risk of cancer.

Oslo, Norway — Offshore petroleum workers engaged in rotating shift work may face increased risk of prostate cancer, according to the results of a recent study.

Geneva, Switzerland — Workers exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays account for nearly a third of all non-melanoma skin cancer deaths, according to the results of a recent study.

Gaithersburg, MD — Wear and tear in firefighters’ protective clothing may lead to an increased release of chemicals linked to cancer, according to a new study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Olympia, WA – The Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention Program at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has released six industry-specific checklists and summary reports aimed at helping employers identify risk factors that may contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

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Fairfax, VA – Despite Colorado and Washington state legalizing small quantities of marijuana for recreational use, the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators has announced that its substance abuse policy still prohibits workers from using the drug.

Strong interest in two upcoming OSHA stakeholder meetings on crane operator certification requirements has prompted the agency to add a third.

Washington – Demolition and underground construction employers must follow the same requirements for crane and derrick use as those in other construction sectors, OSHA said in a final rule issued April 23.

Washington – OSHA is delaying by three years its certification requirements for crane operators, the agency announced in a final rule published Sept. 25.

Washington – OSHA is seeking a one-year delay on crane operator certification requirements scheduled to go into effect in November.

Washington — OSHA is moving to finalize changes to its crane operator certification requirements, according to a proposed rule published in the May 21 Federal Register.

Washington — OSHA is giving stakeholders until July 5 to comment on its proposed rule for crane operator certification requirements, the agency announced June 15.

Washington — OSHA is giving stakeholders another 30 days to comment on its proposed update of crane operator certification requirements, the agency announced in the July 30 Federal Register.

Washington — The Department of Labor’s regulatory agenda for fall 2018, released Oct. 17, contains few changes for OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Washington — OSHA has released a preview of the long-awaited updates to its crane operator certification requirements, days ahead of the final rule’s expected publication in the Federal Register.

Washington — OSHA is set to publish the long-awaited updates to its crane operator certification requirements in the Nov. 9 Federal Register.

Fairfax, VA — The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators has published three employer guides on OSHA’s updated crane operator requirements, a final rule scheduled to go into effect Dec. 10.

Washington — Employers who make “good faith efforts” to document their evaluations of crane operators have an additional 60 days to comply with OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Certification Extension, according to a Feb. 7 enforcement memorandum from the agency.

It has taken many years, but OSHA’s construction crane operator requirements are finalized and nearly in full effect.

Tumwater, WA — A new hazard alert from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries outlines the roles, responsibilities and procedures of erecting and dismantling tower cranes.

Fairfax, VA — The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators no longer will require a physical evaluation for workers to be eligible to take its certification exams. Instead, beginning Jan. 1, NCCCO will rely on employers to determine whether their workers are physically qualified to operate the equipment.

Washington — OSHA has issued a temporary enforcement policy for the construction industry after being informed by the Sanford, FL-based Crane Institute Certification that the organization no longer is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as required under section 1926.1427(d) of OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard.

Fairfax, VA — Virtual reality could provide a reliable measure in predicting a candidate’s ability to pass a crane certification exam, results of a recent study published by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators indicate.

Silver Spring, MD — A toolbox talk recently published by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training features guidance on planning a safe lift with a crane.

Oakland, CA — The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health – also known as Cal/OSHA – is reminding employers to protect workers from unhealthy air resulting from wildfire smoke.

Columbia, SC — South Carolina OSHA has announced its plan to adopt a standard on infectious diseases in the workplace, including COVID-19.

Washington — Citing Arizona’s “pattern of failures to adopt and enforce standards and enforcement policies at least as effective” as those used by OSHA, the agency is proposing to “reconsider and revoke” the final approval of the state’s State Plan for oversight of worker safety and health.

Oakland, CA — Two fact sheets, along with an updated FAQ document, from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health highlight the latest revisions to the state’s emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 – adopted April 21 by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.

Washington — OSHA will reopen, for an additional 60 days, the comment period on its proposal to revoke Arizona’s State Plan status, the agency has announced.

Washington — A State Plan covering Massachusetts’ state and local government employees is now a reality after OSHA announced its initial approval.

Portland, OR — A recent study of residential construction supervisors in Oregon who received toolbox talks via text messages showed that their compliance with Oregon OSHA’s standard on safety meetings increased – and the delivery method was welcomed.

Columbia, SC — To help mark its 50th anniversary as a State Plan state, South Carolina OSHA is encouraging employers to provide at least 50 minutes of additional safety training to their workers during Safety Stand Down Week – set for Dec. 5-9.