Washington Update

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The spring regulatory agenda, released May 21, tees up several rules OSHA intends to issue in the next few months. Final rules on modernizing recordkeeping, walking/working surfaces, and eye and face protection are expected by the end of summer; proposed rules on beryllium and cranes and derricks are scheduled for the fall.

Should employers face fines for “minor, trivial” OSHA violations? At least one congresswoman is saying no.

Employers have a legal mandate to keep their workers safe and a duty to respect workers’ religious beliefs. So what happens when those obligations come into conflict?

Employers are failing to protect workers from injuries, and workers who are injured bear the financial costs of those injuries due to a “broken” workers’ compensation system.

Over the past several years, many faces familiar to safety and health professionals have been disappearing from Capitol Hill.

Proponents of mandatory paid sick leave have gained a big new ally: President Barack Obama.

OSHA may soon update its Hazard Communication Standard to align it with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

The Republicans now have a majority in Congress. But will things be any different than with the previous Congress?

How close is federal OSHA to pulling Arizona’s oversight of the state’s construction industry? Just a few feet, apparently.

Employees working under federal contractors may find their workplaces getting safer, if a new Executive Order pans out the way some worker safety advocates hope.