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.

New York — Around 2 out of 5 workers who say they have or have had a toxic boss have sought therapy as a result, results of a recent survey show.

Washington — President Joe Biden has renominated Julie Su for labor secretary, but Su’s path to confirmation remains murky.

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.

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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.

Montreal – A recent publication from the scientific research organization IRSST focuses on work-related cancer.

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

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

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.

San Francisco – A nonprofit organization has released a report identifying more than 20 occupations associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

Washington — NIOSH is looking for more than 1 million U.S. firefighters to take part in a voluntary registry, as the agency seeks to understand why those in the field are at greater risk for certain cancers.

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.

Montreal — Women employed in hairdressing, construction and accounting may face a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, a recent study out of Canada suggests.

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.

Atlanta – To help protect health care providers and facilities from the dangers of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed checklists for infection control actions.

Washington — Demonstrating a commitment to worker safety, and getting a firsthand look at whether safety and health programs are working. These are two of the reasons business owners and managers should personally conduct periodic walkaround inspections, OSHA states in a recently released fact sheet.

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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.

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 – Stakeholders are invited to participate in an informal OSHA hearing on May 19 in Washington to discuss a proposal to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification requirements.

Portland, OR – A hazard alert from the Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program emphasizes the importance of abiding by the manufacturer’s instructions for construction equipment and building materials.

Washington – OSHA will not issue citations to employers whose monorail hoists fail to comply with requirements in the Crane and Derricks in Construction Standard – as long as they adhere to other regulations, the agency announced in a recent memorandum.

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

Washington — A new fact sheet from OSHA is intended to help protect workers from hazards associated with shipboard pedestal cranes.

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 — As part of a settlement agreement, OSHA has issued a proposed rule that would grant exemptions to its Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard for work on or along railroad tracks.

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.

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.

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.

Gaithersburg, MD — Using an equation they derived while studying the “motion of a so-called torsional pendulum,” researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology have found a “surprising link” between the equation and the work of crane operators on construction sites.

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.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA has launched a free online training course on silica hazards for Spanish-speaking workers.

Washington — OSHA has extended until July 5 the deadline to comment on its proposal to revoke Arizona’s State Plan status.

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.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA has launched a state emphasis program aimed at identifying and reducing exposures to indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards.

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.

Washington — Arizona’s State Plan for oversight of worker safety and health will remain in place after OSHA announced its plan to withdraw a proposed rule to “reconsider and revoke” the final approval status of the plan.

Augusta, ME — The number of injuries among teen workers in Maine doubled over a recent 10-year period, data from the state’s Department of Labor shows.

Santa Ana, CA — California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is “extremely motivated” to move forward on an emergency temporary standard on silica hazards for workers who handle engineered stone.

Washington — Fifty million workers will have to endure “excruciating heat” in the coming months, according to a Public Citizen report that examines state efforts to protect against the hazard.

Iowa City, IA — Safety pros can make and manage an effective heat-related illness prevention program by implementing the Hierarchy of Controls, Iowa OSHA Bureau Chief Peggy Peterson says in a new video.

Hunt Valley, MD — Maryland is the latest state to adopt a standard on heat illness prevention.

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Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is requesting public input on a proposal to enhance the safety and durability of rail tank cars used to transport hazardous materials.

Washington – Beginning Nov. 1, Department of Transportation safety inspectors must follow new notification procedures when opening packages containing perishable hazardous materials that are deemed unsafe or non-compliant with safety regulations, according to a final rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.