Regulatory & Standards


A competent person for confined spaces should be the employer’s specialist. To meet OSHA

Residual Confined Space Hazards ... An Unintended Booby Trap!

Using elements of the new construction industry regulation for confined spaces in a general industry program will go a long way to save the lives of those who would otherwise fall victim to them.

Specialty harnesses can now be custom ordered for specific industries and applications, making them more practical than ever before—as each one is built with the specific applications in mind. (3M Fall Protection photo)

How Fall Protection Has Changed Dramatically Over the Decades

Given all we know and the resources available to us, "rescue" today should be viewed as an expected event with a positive outcome.

FR Know-How: Two Webinars Offer Free Guidance This Week

DuPont Nomex's Dennis Mater and e-Hazard's Hugh Hoagland are presenting webinars Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 on fibers, fabric blends, and arc-rated and flash fire-rated apparel for cold weather, wet weather, or hot weather.

ANA defines a Culture of Safety as one in which a health care organization

California Nurses Association Welcomes New Workplace Violence Regulations

"This is a landmark day for the entire country, as California has now set the bar with the strongest workplace violence regulation in the nation," said Bonnie Castillo, RN, director of health and safety for CNA/NNU. "Today is a huge victory."

What's Ahead for OSHA, MSHA, DOL in 2017?

We'll know a lot more about the 2017 legislative and regulatory outlook on Nov. 9, 2016, once the presidential election is decided.

HHS Final Rule Aids Protection of Health Information

HHS says the final rule allows the program to better support physicians and hospitals – the vast majority of whom use certified electronic health records – and the fast pace of innovation in health IT.

DOL Commits $5 Million to Fight Child Labor in Zambia

The agency is a new partner in the “Let Girls Learn” initiative.

OSHA Proposes to Add Two Additional Fit-Testing Protocols to Respiratory Standard

The protocols would apply to employers in the general, shipyard and construction industries.



OSHA Rolls Out Another Standards Improvement Measure

The agency's announcement said these proposed revisions would save employers an estimated $3.2 million per year and are based on responses to a public Request for Information issued in 2012 and recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, OSHA's staff, and the Office of Management and Budget.

New FRA Directive Targets DOT-111 Cars' Weld Defects

"The good news is these flawed welds have been found in only a small portion of the U.S. tank car fleet that were manufactured by American Railcar Industries and ACF Industries between 2009 and 2015," FRA stated.

Foot fractures account for about 10 percent of all broken bone injuries that are reported in the United States. Foot fractures are frequently caused by jumping or falling from height, a dropped object, or a crushing impact.

Putting Our Best-Protected Feet Forward

OSHA cited a Lancaster, Pa., landscaping business on Jan. 29. The company had notified OSHA that an employee suffered a double toe amputation when he lost control of a lawn mower he was operating on a wet, grassy slope.

In addition to selecting HPDs and documenting the PAR achieved by each worker, hearing protector fit testing is a critical component to worker training. (Photo courtesy of 3M Personal Safety Division)

Selecting Hearing Protectors—It's the Fit That Counts

In addition to selecting HPDs and documenting the PAR achieved by each worker, hearing protector fit testing is a critical component to worker training.

Big News for Telecommunications Workers

A10.48 and TIA 322 are fast tracked, with a Jan. 1, 2017, effective date for both.

Some locations, operations, or hazmat personnel may require security awareness training that includes security risks associated with their specific tasks and methods designed to enhance security.

A Comprehensive Look at the FAST Act

The law mandates that FMCSA provide recognition for motor carriers that make voluntary use of advanced technologies and enhanced driver fitness measures.

DOL Rule Directs Federal Contractors to Provide Paid Sick Leave

The agency said it means up to 56 hours of paid leave per year will be offered to an estimated 1.15 million employees, including 594,000 workers who currently receive no paid sick leave.

During transportation, the HMR governs hazcom labeling requirements, and OSHA

Joint Memo Clarifies Hazmat Labeling Requirements

PHMSA and OSHA issued it Sept. 19, it explains that an HSC 2012-compliant OSHA label and a DOT HMR label or marking may both be the same package.

ASTM Sets Commercial Spaceflight Organizational Meeting

Standards would support the growing number of people and organizations that design, manufacture, and operate commercial space vehicles for both manned and unmanned flights; human spaceflight occupant safety will be an area of immediate focus, according to those who have expressed initial interest, ASTM reported.

DC Circuit's Process Safety Decision a Setback for OSHA

In a unanimous decision, three D.C. Circuit judges -- Sri Srinivasan, Judith W. Rogers, and Patricia A. Millett -- ruled that OSHA failed to follow the required notice-and-comment procedure when it narrowed the retail exemption in its PSM standard following the West Fertilizer explosion in 2013.

Comment Period for Oregon Sick Time Rules Winding Down

The rulemaking will implement a law passed during Oregon's 2015 legislative session that requires employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick time or unpaid but protected sick time per year, depending on the employer's size and location.

OSHA Issues Final Rule on Retaliation Complaints under Seaman's Protection Act

The rule establishes procedures and time frames for handling retaliation complaints

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