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Good Wednesday morning,

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Good Monday morning and welcome to the dog days of August,

August is sleepy time down in D.C., with Congress heading out for recess and POTUS and family taking ten days for a Martha’s Vineyard vacation August 19-29.

Good Friday morning,

TOP OF THE NEWS

OSHA continues to clear out its rusty standards pipeline issuing this Wednesday what it calls a “historic” new standard on cranes and derricks standard. It replaces a decades old standard and affects about 267,000 construction, crane rental, and crane certification establishments with about 4.8 million workers, according to the agency.

Happy Hump Day,

TOP OF THE NEWS OSHA finally manages to get over the hump and issue new cranes and derricks rules. OSHA boss Dr. David Michaels will provide the details in a telephone media briefing at 1:30 pm this afternoon. OSHA says the “historic new rules addressing the safety of cranes and derricks in construction” will be issued today.

Happy last week of July,

AND EVIDENTLY THE LAST DAYS OF TONY HAYWARD, chief executive of BP. Multiple reports indicate Hayward will leave the company, as early as today.

Good Friday morning,

We saw Levon Helm rip it up last night at the Keswick Theatre outside Philadelphia. One of many highlights: Leadbelly’s “Bourgeois Blues,” with a line that nails many an employers’ feelings about the “OSHA with teeth” bill now moving through Congress:

“Home of the brave, land of the free I don't wanna be mistreated by no bourgeoisie”

Good Hump Day morning,

OSHA — AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ENFORCER…

Good Monday morning,

These are the stories that will drive conversations in the safety and health community this week…

Good Friday morning,

We’re getting fried here in the East (ISHN editorial offices are in Philadelphia) with weeks of 90 degree plus days. Things are hot:

…down in Washington with Congress debating OSHA and MSHA reforms;

…in the Gulf, though BP might have successfully capped the gusher;

…in the mining industry, where 40 workers thus far in 2010 have been killed on the job;

…in the U.S. Postal Service, which has been slammed by OSHA with hundreds of thousands of dollars in proposed fines for electrical safety hazards.

…last month’s combined global land and ocean surface temperature made it the warmest June on record and the warmest on record averaged for any April-June and January-June periods, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Happy Hump Day to you,

HILL HEARING ON OSHA REFORM: Yesterday Solicitor of Labor M. Patricia Smith, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels testified in support of the Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010 legislation before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor.