Regulatory & Standards


FMCSA Finalizes Hours of Service Rule

Public Citizen, an opponent that helped defeat the rule in federal court last year, says the rule "ignores mountains of safety research" and "will continue to force truck drivers to continue enduring sweatshop-like working conditions."

Bush Signs Executive Order to Speed NextGen Air Traffic System

"At an age when teenage drivers use GPS systems in their cars, air traffic controllers still use World War II-era radar to guide modern jumbo jets. That doesn't seem to make any sense to me, and I know it doesn't make sense to the Secretary and a lot of folks in this audience," the president said in a speech this morning at DOT headquarters.

ACCSH to Meet about Construction Standards Updates; Public is Invited

The meeting also will include comments from the Office of the Assistant Secretary, Thomas M. Stohler, who was named the acting assistant secretary on Nov. 10 when the previous OSHA chief Edwin Foulke Jr. left the agency to join the Atlanta office of law firm Fisher & Phillips.

DOL Revising Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations

At 762 pages, today's final rule is a monster. The Labor Department fielded more than 19,600 comments in 2006 and 2008 when it asked for suggested changes in the law.

FAA Revising Flight Rules for EMS Helicopter Pilots

The agency asked for comments from the industry by Dec. 15.

Combustible Dust, Ergonomics among AIHA Members' Policy Concerns

Interestingly, the issue of emergency preparedness and response—previously one of the public policy issues most on members' minds—was nowhere near the top of the list of concerns in the latest survey.

Survey Finds High Rate of PPE Non-Compliance

According to a new survey released today by Kimberly-Clark Professional, 89 percent of safety professionals polled at the 2008 National Safety Council (NSC) Congress have observed workers failing to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when they should have been.

CPSC Clarifies Conformity Certification Requirements

Recently, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a final rule (pdf) by unanimous vote, addressing the conformity certification required for consumer products subject to safety rules under the commission's jurisdiction.



Virginia Operator Receives First MSHA Pattern of Violation Notice

Patriot Mining LLC failed to reduce rate of significant and substantial violations

young rider on four-wheel ATV

ATV Makers, Distributors Required to Submit Written Safety Plans

ATVs manufactured after April 13, 2009, must meet the ANSI/SVIA 1-2007 standard, which the Consumer Product Safety Commission incorporated by reference in the final rule published Friday.

Dollar Tree Fined for Selling Contaminated Confetti

The chain sold about 1.8 million cans of Zany String confetti that contained R-22 Freon, a Class II ozone depleting substance that has been banned for aerosol use under the Clean Air Act.

ISO Issues New Guide for Product Standards Writers

The publication notes that every product has an impact on the environment during all stages of its life-cycle, from extraction of resources to end-of-life treatment, and the need to reduce the potential adverse impacts on the environment of a product is recognized around the world.

A 3D image of a buckyball nanoparticle.

Online Collaboration to Speed up Creation of Nanotechnology Standards

Combining efforts of materials scientists and measurement laboratories with those of biological and medical researchers, a new Internet-linked "community of interest" will exploit Web 2.0-style social networking technologies to enable creating and sharing information, as well as deliberating over technical details of in-process standards.

CPSC Releases Annual Holiday Shopping Tips, Top Five Toy Hazards

The holidays are here and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)--joined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Safe Kids Worldwide--has issued its annual holiday safety messages to remind parents to be diligent when making holiday shopping choices.

OccuNomix International, LLC high-vis apparel

Visibly Cool: Highway Construction Wear Getting a Makeover

A full wardrobe of stylish gear is ready for the Nov. 24 effective date of the FHWA rule requiring high-visibility apparel (such as this OccuNomix International, LLC outfit) for those working in highway work zones, including emergency responders.

EPA Promulgates New Use Rules for Two Nanoparticles

The agency has determined that, for both substances, use without impervious gloves or a NIOSH-approved respirator with an APF of at least 10 may cause serious health effects.

Prep School Fined Nearly $1 Million for Firing Over Unequal Pay Inquiry

Jury found the Lake Ridge Academy in Cleveland guilty of firing an employee because he questioned the school about paying men more than women with similar education and work history.

DOT Starts Automatic Vehicle Safety Recall Notification Service

Consumers can sign up now for free alerts from NHTSA on their computers, cell phones, and PDAs.

University of Phoenix to Pay $1,875,000 for Religious Bias

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced that Federal District Court Judge Mary H. Murguia has entered a consent decree for nearly $2 million and significant remedial relief to resolve a class religious discrimination lawsuit against the University of Phoenix Inc., and its parent corporation, Apollo Group Inc.

VPPPA Seeks 2009 Conference Workshop Proposals by Dec. 5

The association's 25th annual conference will take place in August at the same San Antonio convention center where ASSE's PDC will be held June 28-July 1, 2009.

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