The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a proposed delay in the effective date of the rule entitled Occupational Exposure to Beryllium, from March 21, 2017, to May 20, 2017. The announcement follows a White House memorandum, entitled "Regulatory Freeze Pending Review," issued Jan. 20, 2017, that directed the department to undertake a review of any new or pending regulations and temporarily postpone the date that they would take effect.

Lawmakers’ plans to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal federal regulations are meeting with opposition from the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards.

President Trump on Friday signed an executive order to establish a task force that will identify regulations that are burdensome to U.S. companies. The directive is expected to have a significant impact on the regulatory landscape.

Should OSHA stop setting standards – at least for the foreseeable future? Should the agency cease to exist on a federal level, and its responsibilities be performed by state OSH agencies? ISHN put these questions to its readers recently in an online survey.

Workplace safety and health regulations would be among those affected by a sweeping measure making its way through Congress that would enable lawmakers to overturn any and all regulations passed during the final year of a President’s term.

A U.S. House of Representatives measure would nullify OSHA’s new electronic recordkeeping rule, which requires employers to electronically submit injury and illness data that they already record. Under the rule, which was published in the Federal Register on May 12, 2016, all establishments with 250 or more employees in industries covered by the recordkeeping regulation must electronically submit to OSHA injury and illness information from OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301.

A study ISHN conducted recently to help us understand safety and health professionals’ perceptions and expectations around change in OSHA-related regulations, as a result of a new political administration in Washington D.C. produced a wealth of information and opinions. An article posted earlier about whether or not OSHA standards should be repealed showed a division among respondents based mainly on their job functions.

With a new occupant in the White House, ISHN thought it a good time to conduct an online flash survey to find out what our readers think about the federal agency that most impacts their jobs, OSHA. Will OSHA change under the Trump administration? Should OSHA change under the Trump administration?

More than 616 business groups recently signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) urging them to use their positions to pass the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 (RAA). The RAA recently passed the House with a vote of 238-183. The Senate has failed to pass RAA on three previous occasions after House passage. Democrats hold enough seats in the Senate to filibuster the bill.