Here are excerpts from remarks made by acting OSHA chief Jordan Barab at the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Health and Safety Conference Day, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Friday, September 25, 2009.
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) recently released an updated statement regarding ergonomics. In the document, AIHA states “ergonomics is a multidisciplinary science whose primary focus is the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and their risk factors in the workplace. This is accomplished through the application of principles based on the physical and psychological capabilities of people to the design or modification of jobs, equipment, products, and workplaces.”
In light of a new government report highlighting what he called “dangerous gaps in health and safety protections for workers in Nevada,” U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, announced the committee will hold a hearing on Thursday, October 29 to examine federal OSHA’s critical review of Nevada’s workplace health and safety program.
The Senate Committee on Health, Labor, Education and Pensions’ (HELP) scheduled vote yesterday on the nomination of Dr. David Michaels to head up OSHA was postponed on Tuesday night.
High-visibility warning garments are required safety attire for highway and road construction workers according to a new letter of interpretation recently released by OSHA.
OSHA will publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) in the Oct. 21 edition of the Federal Register as an initial step in development of a standard to address the hazards of combustible dust.
The “great concerns” uncovered by federal OSHA monitors of the Nevada state OSHA program have raised concerns about OSHA’s monitoring of all state plan states. Jordan Barab, the Labor Department’s acting Assistant Secretary for OSHA, states, “As a result of the deficiencies identified in Nevada OSHA’s program and this administration’s goal to move from reaction to prevention, we will strengthen the oversight, monitoring and evaluation of all state programs.”
OSHA has released a report on Nevada’s occupational safety and health program that reveals a number of serious concerns with the program’s operation, including failure to issue appropriate willful and repeat citations, poorly trained inspectors and lack of follow-up to determine whether hazards were abated.
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Vice President for Energy & Resources Policy Keith McCoy issued the following statement in response to the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require large industrial facilities to obtain construction and operating permits that demonstrate they are using the best practices and technologies to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In a story posted Monday morning, Reuters declared: "The Chamber of Commerce said on Monday it will no longer oppose climate change legislation, but wants the bill to include a carbon tax."
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