Michigan Construction Job Sites Halve Injuries Via Partnerships

• Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration construction partnership sites have experienced a 48% reduction in injury and illness rates compared to the statewide average, a result that underscores the value of collaboration, according to the state agency.
• Three high-profile construction projects cover large-scale worksites in Kalamazoo and metro Detroit and bring together contractors, workers and MIOSHA in voluntary efforts to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses.
• Each partnership is tailored to the jobsite, emphasizing leadership involvement, proactive hazard identification, safety training and clear accountability.
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Senate Panel Advances Legislation to Preserve Chemical Safety Board Funding

• The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved legislation that would maintain the Chemical Safety Board’s current budget through fiscal year 2026.
• The bill, sent to the full Senate after a 26-2 vote on July 24, allocates $14.4 million to the CSB.
• A counterpart House appropriations bill allocated only $8.2 million.
• The Trump administration has sought to eliminate CSB in its FY2026 budget proposal, released May 30.
• During President Donald Trump’s first term, the agency was on the chopping block each fiscal year, but Congress chose to provide funding to the agency each time.
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Canada’s Provinces Look to Harmonize Health-Safety Regs

• The federal government is ramping up efforts to harmonize occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations across Canada, aiming to eliminate the patchwork of rules that complicate labour mobility and workplace safety for businesses and workers operating in multiple provinces.
• The Government of Canada has been working closely with provincial and territorial partners to harmonize occupational health and safety requirements across the country.
• A spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) said the move was aimed “so that workers can benefit from strong safety protections, no matter where they work in the country.”
• The harmonization push is being advanced through the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table (RCT) under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, as well as the National and Pan-Canadian OHS Reconciliation Agreements signed in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
• According to a source familiar with the discussions, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Labour Minister David Piccini have been tapped to lead the safety aspect of the harmonization effort.
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