Court Delays Transportation Drug-Testing Rule; Maritime Rule Set
A U.S. Department of Transportation worker drug-testing rule mandating direct observation of urine specimen collection has been delayed by a federal judge while a U.S. Coast Guard drug-testing quotas for 2009 are set for implementation.
Advisory Panel Urges More Safety Inspection Education
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) needs to increase targeted safety inspection education for construction contractors, says an OSHA’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health.
OSHA Workgroup Hails Utility’s Trenching Safety Procedures
A utility company’s efforts to ensure contractor implementation of construction worksite safety procedures are being praised by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration advisory workgroup on trenching.
Guidelines Seek to Cut Construction Worksite Silica Exposure
Proposed best-practice guidelines for reducing construction worksite silica exposure are being drafted by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration advisory workgroup.
Author Backs Employers on Barring Guns at Workplaces
Employers should be able to ban employees from transporting a gun onto a company’s property, said Brian Doherty, a gun-rights supporter who wrote a book about the Supreme Court case in which Washington, D.C.’s ban on gun ownership was struck down.
Four Types of Corporate ‘Safety Cultures’ Detailed
Most organizations’ “safety cultures” can be classified within four types; the challenge for safety officers is to move low-level safety cultures to higher levels, says Robert Pater, managing director of Strategic Safety Associates.
Fatal Construction Industry Accidents Show Decline
The fatality rate in the construction industry attributable to workplace accidents fell from 10.9 per 100,000 workers in 2006 to 10.3 per 100,000 workers in 2007, said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin Foulke, who credits the Occupational Safety and Health Administration with contributing to the decline.
Texas Protects Workers in Evacuations
In Texas, employers may not discharge or otherwise discriminate against an employee who 'leaves the employee's place of employment to participate in a general public evacuation.'
Maritime ID Card Requirement Delayed Until 2009
A required ID card that allows transportation workers access to secured vessels and facilities has been delayed until April 2009, officials say. They add that the credential is a “vital security measure that will ensure individuals who pose a threat do not gain unescorted access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime transportation system.”
Cyber Security
Chertoff: Cyber Security Is Shared Responsibility
The government and the private sector share the responsibility of cyber security, including reducing vulnerable access points, says U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
DHS Advances Implementation of Cyber Security Initiative
Reducing vulnerabilities, securing global supply chains, and managing R&D and technology innovation will be top priorities in 2009 that are crucial to the nation's cyber security, according to a top Department of Homeland Security official.
Mine Safety
MSHA Targets Top Causes of Mine Fatalities
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration has implemented a mine safety initiative that seeks to reduce mine fatalities by tracking the leading causes of mine deaths and providing plans for dealing with the circumstances that created those accidents.
OSHA Seeks To Extend Rules for Dangerous Confined Spaces
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed an extension of existing regulations governing the most dangerous confined spaces in which employees work.
Continuation of Diesel Engine and Fuel Safety Rules Proposed
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration wants to continue regulations that govern the use of diesel engines in underground coal mines that reduce the likelihood of the equipment starting mine fires.
