OSHA commemorates 50 years of OSH Act
WASHINGTON -- OSHA is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 with a yearlong celebration of past achievements, current efforts and future initiatives to protect the American workforce. Following the establishment of the act, workplace fatalities were reduced approximately 65 percent.
Signed into law by President Nixon, the OSH Act was created to ensure "safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women," laying the groundwork for the creation of OSHA the following spring.
"America's workplaces are safer and healthier thanks to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the thousands of individuals at the Labor Department who have implemented the act over the past 50 years," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. "The OSH Act is a cornerstone of worker protection in our country, and thanks to OSHA's work, countless American workers have gotten home safely to their families each day."
For more information, visit www.osha.gov or call (800) 321-6742.
EPA, Army deliver new definition of WOTUS
LAS VEGAS -- The EPA and Army have delivered on the Trump administration's promise to issue a new, clear definition for "waters of the United States (WOTUS)" in order to protect the nation's navigable waters from pollution while encouraging economic growth.
"EPA and the Army are providing much needed regulatory certainty and predictability for American farmers, landowners and businesses to support the economy and accelerate critical infrastructure projects," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.
The Navigable Waters Protection Rule ends decades of uncertainty over where federal jurisdiction begins and ends. For the first time, the EPA and Army are recognizing the difference between federally protected wetlands and state-protected wetlands, while adhering to the statutory limits of the agencies' authority.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov or call (214) 665-2760.
ASSP issues safety guide for self-retracting fall protection
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Recognizing occupational safety and health professionals need to understand how each piece of equipment helps protect workers at height, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has issued a four-step safety guide for self-retracting devices (SRDs).
- Put SRDs to the test: SRDs must undergo rigorous performance testing to ensure they can withstand real-world working conditions.
- Communicate to users: To prevent improper use, SRD users need to understand the capabilities, limitations and appropriate type of SRD to use in a given situation.
- Elevate anchorages: Users need to understand that by elevating their anchorage point, they greatly improve their safety.
- Inspect to protect: SRDs should be inspected for wear and tear before every use to confirm they will protect workers at height.
For more information, visit www.assp.org or call (847) 699-2929.
CEQ modernizes NEPA regulations WASHINGTON -- The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has released a notice of proposed rulemaking to update its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations.
CEQ's proposed rule would modernize and clarify the regulations to facilitate more efficient, effective and timely NEPA reviews by simplifying and clarifying regulatory requirements, incorporating key elements of the One Federal Decision policy, codifying certain case law and CEQ guidance, updating the regulations to reflect current technologies and agency practices, eliminating obsolete provisions and improving the readability of the regulations.
"The proposed rule would ensure federal agencies consider the significant environmental impacts of proposed projects and activities, while accelerating the process so that timely decisions are made on major infrastructure and other projects affecting Americans' everyday lives," said CEQ Chairwoman Mary B. Neumayr. "Americans deserve a government that is efficient, effective and responsive."
For more information, visit www.whitehouse.gov/ceq.