Teamsters Back Keeling’s Nomination to Lead OSHA

• The Teamsters are supporting the nomination of David Keeling to lead OSHA as assistant secretary of Labor.
• “OSHA and the DOL, under the leadership of soon-to-be Secretary Chavez-DeRemer, will continue to benefit from leaders who started in the trades and understand the risks facing working Americans today and necessary reforms and opportunities to protect them,” the Teamsters said in a statement Friday.
• However, a subgroup of members, Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), issued a statement opposing Keeling, stating: “Teamsters know bosses rarely care about our safety. OSHA is already too weak and toothless,” the movement said. “Now more than ever, we need to fight for ourselves.”
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Transportation Reps Push U.S. House for More Truck In-Vehicle Tech

• Transportation experts have told the U.S. House of Representatives’ Highways and Transit Subcommittee that expanded use of in-vehicle technology for trucks can improve safety in work zones.
• In a Feb. 12 hearing, Haley Norman, chair-elect of the American Traffic Safety Services Association, said that recently developed telematic devices that sound an alert to drivers when they’re approaching a work zone have proven successful.
• Under a Federal Highway Administration final rule that went into effect in December, state departments of transportation are required to use positive protection devices.
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ASSP Sets New Training Standard for Construction Workers

• The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has published a new national voluntary consensus standard for safety training on construction and demolition sites, which are among the most hazardous work environments.
• ANSI/ASSP A10.2-2025, “Safety, Health and Environmental Training for Construction and Demolition Operations,” establishes best training practices to help contractors and related firms eliminate hazards and risks that cause injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
• “Uniform practices for training construction personnel can create much safer jobsites,” said Gary Gustafson, chair of the A10.2 subcommittee. “A key element of that training is communicating hazards and hazard controls with workers for each task.”
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Safety Pros Survey Shows Injury Frequency, Severity Increasing 

• More than half of environmental health and safety executives say injury frequency and severity have either remained stagnant or worsened over the past year, according to Benchmark Gensuite’s 2025 EHS Benchmarking report.
• The research surveyed more than 100 EHS professionals across multiple industries, and highlights persistent challenges—such as workforce turnover, insufficient training, and underreporting—and explores the critical role of AI in addressing these issues, according to the safety software maker.
• Among the key findings is the growing recognition of AI’s potential to transform safety management. More than 50% of the organizations surveyed are investing in AI-driven solutions in 2025 for EHS applications such as data analysis capabilities, AI-powered video analysis, and AI-powered prompts.
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