A blog focused on OSHA and MSHA compliance in the workplace
by Kaileigh Fagan
Despite a proposed $2.4 billion (19.8%) cut to the Department of Labor’s annual budget in President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget proposal, the lead U.S. workplace safety agencies – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) – would see only small budgetary changes.
At last month’s Microsoft developer conference, the software maker previewed developing software that can track people, tools, and activities in real-time to prevent workplace accidents.
Following industry comments, MSHA will formally announce on Monday that its workplace examinations final rule will not take effect until October 2, 2017.
A federal district court judge in Ohio granted yesterday a joint request by industry plaintiffs and MSHA to put on hold their pending litigation over the validity of the agency’s 2013 Pattern of Violations (“POV”) rule while the parties explore settlement. The POV rule is MSHA’s harshest enforcement mechanism.
Yesterday afternoon, the Senate voted to confirm Alexander Acosta as the 27th U.S. Secretary of Labor by a vote of 60 to 38. Mr. Acosta is the final appointee to complete the confirmation process and is currently the only Latino in President Trump’s cabinet.
by Erik Dullea and Sonia Anderson
Department of Labor press releases issued during April suggest that DOL, including OSHA and MSHA, may have returned to the aggressive public relations strategy of calling out companies by name, which was utilized during the previous administration. Former head of OSHA, Dr. David Michaels, reportedly called this strategy “regulation by shaming.”
In the recent issue of Rock Products, I look at a recent decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit limiting MSHA’s jurisdiction. If you operate a shop that services mining equipment, you’ll want to take note of this case.
Ever heard that problem-solving in mining often starts (and ends) with the use of a bigger hammer or the application of more powder? I have. If there was a miner’s creed, I’d expect it to include “hit it harder or shoot it down.”
In June of this year, the construction industry was to be the first to meet a compliance deadline under OSHA’s new silica rule. Now, OSHA says, it will delay that deadline by at least 90 days.
As forecast in our previous discussion, on April 4th President Trump signed House Joint Resolution 83. This was the final action to complete the Congressional Review Act (CRA) process, disposing of the “Volks Rule” and reinstating to the six-month statute of limitations for recordkeeping activities.
