Pols Push Changes to MSHA Silica Rule

Seven Republican members of the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee have asked the Mine Safety and Health Administration to align its final rule on miner exposure to respirable crystalline silica with existing OSHA protections, citing “undue and excessive” industry burdens.
They said MSHA’s 2024 final rule, “Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and Improving Respiratory Protection,” was promulgated in the last year of the Biden-Harris administration and falls squarely within the purview of President Donald Trump’s deregulatory executive orders.
In a July 29 letter to James McHugh, deputy assistant secretary for policy at MSHA, the legislators claimed that the rule “ignores controls already in place to protect miners’ health.”
“The MSHA rule ignores controls already in place to protect miners’ health. In fact, the
MSHA rule excludes commonsense practices such as job rotation and personal protective
Equipment,” the letter said.
READ MORE

OSHA’s recent move to collect and publish far more granular data is likely to lead to more targeted safety interventions, ultimately reducing workplace injuries and fatalities across the U.S.
Recently, OSHA has begun to collect and make public additional data that may be useful in conducting studies that can contribute to injury prevention.
Prof. David Michaels of George Washington University and Adjunct Prof. Gregory R. Wagner of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have developed a solution that makes use of the newly accessible injury data.
While employer-reported, it’s substantially more detailed and transparent than what is available from the BLS or state workers’ compensation systems.
The researchers emphasize that the transparency of this data not only aids research but also improves safety by making employers more accountable. This “spotlight effect,” they argue, encourages preventive measures even without inspections. To enhance compliance, they urge OSHA to issue citations and fines for underreporting.
READ MORE

NIOSH has released a report covering indoor mold and moisture exposure concerns at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, which found that from at least 2011 through 2022, persistent mold problems caused health issues for cadets and employees.
The agency urged academy officials to post the report in a prominent place accessible to employees for 30 days.
It calls for the establishment of a special health and safety committee comprising representatives of both employees and management to consider the report’s recommendations.
The academy’s external affairs office issued a statement in which it said the academy has been working since 2018 to address “the inherent challenges faced in historic buildings within a humid environment.” It said that over the past two years, the academy has fashioned “an infrastructure development action plan” for facility upgrades that incorporate the latest technology.
READ MORE

The American Society of Safety Professionals said it has launched ASSP Safety Trekr AI, an artificial intelligence-powered search tool designed to fundamentally change how safety professionals access critical workplace safety and health guidance.
The Safety Trekr AI online tool links AI capabilities with the Society’s “Safety Professionals Handbook, Third Edition,” instantly scanning and synthesizing the 1,330-page handbook to answer questions and provide precise safety guidance.
Unlike open AI platforms, Safety Trekr AI is a closed model.
READ MORE

The Texas Legislature has appropriated $59.8 million for researchers at Texas A&M University to develop a way to use pilotless Blackhawk helicopters to combat wildfires.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), selected the Texas A&M System to collaborate on the agency’s Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System, better known as ALIAS.
The goal of the ALIAS program is to enable high-risk missions, like firefighting, while reducing the risk to pilots and aircraft.
READ MORE