Bechtel Report Cites Factors in Texas Jobsite Deaths Just days ahead of OSHA’s final deadline to issue a citation in three fatalities at its Port Arthur, Texas, liquified natural gas project in April, the company has publicly released findings and announced internal safety changes resulting from the incident. Bechtel said seven major factors contributed […]

      NIOSH Warns on Common Chemical Substances NIOSH has updated profiles on three chemical substances typically found on worksites that it considers immediately dangerous to life or health values. The three are: hydrogen bromide (HBr); Hydrogen chloride (HCl); and, Hydrogen iodide (HI). Employers must require workers entering IDLH conditions to wear a NIOSH-approved […]

  EPI Says Trump Actions Exacerbate Capacity, Enforcement Constraints A report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) contends that actions by the Trump administration have significantly exacerbated OSHA’s existing capacity and enforcement constraints. OSHA has long been understaffed and underfunded, the report states. While federal and state OSHAs collectively employ fewer than 2,000 inspectors, they […]

  High Temperatures Linked to Injury Rate A study examining a worker injury dataset has linked 28,000 annual injuries to exposure to high temperatures. David Michaels, the longest-serving chief of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), led a team of researchers from George Washington and Harvard universities, along with Barrak Alahmad, director of the […]

  Oregon Gives $5M for Farmworker Housing to Target OSHA Compliance Oregon has awarded $5 million in grants to farms for housing upgrades, including 12 farms that had Oregon Occupational Safety and Health violations for housing penalties in the last two years. The criteria for awarding the grants included registration with Oregon’s OSHA and using […]

      Pennsylvania Pols Try Again for Food Processors Safety Law After failing to pass a similar bill last year, Pennsylvania state legislators are considering a bill that would require meatpacking and other food processing companies to better protect workers from injuries and illnesses, including communicable diseases. H.B. 1923 is now before the House […]

  NIOSH Updates Guides for Hurricane, Flood Workers NIOSH has published an updated guidance document of its Hurricane and Flood Key Messages for Employers, Workers, and Volunteers. The Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS) framework provides information for protecting response and recovery workers during small and large emergencies in any setting. ERHMS covers the […]

  NTSB Renews Call for Collision-Avoidance Tech for Rail Maintenance Vehicles The National Transportation Safety Board is again calling on railroads to equip roadway maintenance machines with collision-avoidance technology. The latest recommendation comes after the agency investigated a fatal 2023 crash in Ohio that left six people dead and more than 40 injured. According to […]

    New OSHRC Appointment Won’t Necessarily Revive Decision-Making Last week’s Senate confirmation of Jonathan L. Snare to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) will not by itself revive Commission-level decision-making. The three-member adjudicatory agency that has not had a commissioner since April 2025. Because OSHRC’s enabling statute requires a Commission quorum consisting […]

  NIOSH Shutdown Seen Slowing Pace of Safety Equipment Innovation The Federal shutdown of NIOSH is creating a backlog of safety equipment instead of getting it into the hands of workers who rely on respirators to safely work in toxic environments. Senior Director for Policy Dan Glucksman of the International Safety Equipment Association, said there’s […]