Regulatory & Standards


signal equipment on train tracks

Agency Sets Hearing on Positive Train Control Rule

The Federal Railroad Administration is implementing a requirement of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and will hear from stakeholders in the all-day meeting Aug. 13 in Washington, D.C.

thermometer showing a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit

Workplace Temperature Debate Heats Up in Britain

The Health and Safety Executive seeks comments at a stakeholder forum this week in London as it reviews the issue and IOSH queries its 35,000 members.

this worker wears a full-body harness with a lanyard

Fall Protection's Z359 Family of Standards Grows

Three more standards have won ANSI approval, including 12, about connecting components, and 13, about energy-absorbing lanyards.

Scrap Metal Facility Agrees to Remove Refrigerants before Crushing, Recycling

Chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants deplete the stratospheric, or "good" ozone layer, allowing dangerous amounts of cancer-causing ultraviolet rays from the sun to strike the earth, EPA notes. Production of some of these chemicals was stopped in 1995, and federal law strictly controls their use and handling.

Construction Enforcement, Stimulus Funding on ACCSH Agenda

ACCSH advises the secretary of labor and the assistant secretary of labor for OSHA in the formulation of standards affecting the construction industry and on policy matters arising in the administration of the safety and health provisions of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and the OSH Act of 1970.

EEOC Hearing Focuses on 'Plague' of Age Discrimination

"It is not limited to members of a particular class or a particular race. It is not limited to particular industries or particular regions. And it is not limited to a particular gender," said Acting EEOC Chairman Stuart Ishimaru in conjunction with the commission's issuance of a technical assistance document on waivers as part of severance agreements.

Agencies Get New Guidelines for Foodborne Illness Response

These guidelines will assist local, state, and federal agencies in preventing and managing foodborne disease outbreaks through planning, detection, investigation, control, and prevention.

NC Governor Backs More Oversight of Coal Ash Ponds

Released June 29, EPA's list of 44 ponds nationwide that are assigned a high hazard potential rating, meaning a failure probably would cause fatalities, included 12 North Carolina sites -- the most of any state.



OSHA Fines Total $319,200 in Two Cases

One case involved alleged machine guarding and other violations against Crucible Specialty Metals following an investigation sparked by a worker's death Jan. 15.

several tower cranes in action at a commercial construction site

Britain Plans National Tower Crane Registry

As is happening in the United States, the proposed UK regulations now open for comments were prompted by high-profile incidents and deaths in the past decade.

an officer administers a nighttime sobriety test

Drunken Driving Down, But Drugged Driving Raises Alarms

NHTSA's first roadside survey to test for drugs as well as alcohol found 16.3 percent of nighttime weekend drivers were drug positive, most commonly from marijuana, cocaine, and OTC or prescription drugs.

OSHA Backs Illinois State Public Employee Protection Plan

OSHA published a notice in the July 10 edition of the Federal Register to approve a new Illinois state public employee protection plan.

212 Tons of Hazwaste Cost Developer, Management Co. $227,500

In the course of redeveloping the property for residential reuse, a sludge lagoon area containing arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and silver was excavated, and the contaminated material was improperly sent to a landfill in Rochester, N.H., that was not licensed or designed to accept hazardous waste.

Age Stereotyping Takes Center Stage at EEOC Public Hearing

Experts at the event Wednesday will discuss older workers’ ability to keep their jobs during layoffs or to find work afterward and the effect of recent controversial Supreme Court decisions on enforcement of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

instrument displays in a jetliners cockpit

FAA Updating Flight Crew Alerting Standards

The new proposed rule would encompass all alerting functions, not just visual displays, and would limit the use of red, amber, and yellow in the flight deck to reduce potential human errors caused when those colors are used in non-alerting ways.

Nine Companies Penalized Violating Federal Lead Paint Ban

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced that nine children's product manufacturers, importers, and sellers have agreed to pay more than $500,000 in civil penalties for violating the federal lead paint ban.

Michael R. Taylor, senior advisor to FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg

Tougher Food Safety Regulations Coming Soon

On Tuesday, FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg announced Michael R. Taylor, a former administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service and acting under secretary for Food Safety, is returning to FDA as her senior advisor.

Former Owner of Largest U.S. Asbestos Mine Agrees to Address Contamination

Under the settlement, G-I will take immediate steps at the VAG Site by constructing fencing, gates, and road barriers to restrict public access; providing onsite surveillance and securing the mill buildings. The company also will monitor air emissions from the piles; conduct dust suppression, if necessary, and provide support to EPA and Vermont for future sampling and monitoring.

Pa. Firm Fined $48,500 Following Worker's Trench Entrapment

"Excavation contractors must take the appropriate steps in accordance with OSHA's construction standards to ensure they are digging trenches and not graves," said Robert Szymanski, area director of OSHA's Pittsburgh Area Office.

Obama Announces Picks for MSHA Head, U.S. Fire Administrator

"Each of these individuals brings with them valuable expertise in their respective fields, and I am grateful for their decision to serve in my administration," the president said.

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