Workplace safety
Occupational safety and health programs and injury records.
4 records
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Comments due
Occupational Safety and Health Administration schedules virtual public hearings on its deregulatory safety proposals
- What changed
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is holding virtual public hearings, starting August 19, 2026, on deregulatory proposed rules it published on July 1, 2025 and April 6, 2026. The notice itself changes no safety standard.
- Who's affected
- Employers whose workers wear respirators under the chemical standards or wear filtering facepiece respirators, employers that rely on the safety color code, and employers with fixed ladders over 24 feet may want to follow these proposals.
- What to do
- This notice creates no new duties for employers. If you want to testify or question witnesses, file a Notice of Intention to Appear (NOITA) by July 6, 2026, and send full testimony by August 5, 2026 if you need more than 10 minutes or will submit documents.
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Compliance date
Occupational Safety and Health Administration extends Hazard Communication Standard compliance dates by four months
- What changed
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) moved each of the four compliance dates in its updated Hazard Communication Standard four months later. The first deadline moves from January 19, 2026, to May 19, 2026, and the last moves from January 19, 2028, to May 19, 2028.
- Who's affected
- Chemical manufacturers, importers and distributors that evaluate substances or mixtures, and employers that need to update workplace labels, their hazard communication program or employee training for newly identified hazards.
- What to do
- This rule creates no new duties: it gives more time to meet existing ones under the updated standard. Move your deadlines to May 19, 2026, November 20, 2026, November 19, 2027, and May 19, 2028. Until then, you may follow the 2012 standard, the updated standard, or both.
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Effective
Occupational Safety and Health Administration revokes the open fires ban for marine terminals
- What changed
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) removed its federal ban on open fires and fires in drums at marine terminals (29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1917.21), effective April 28, 2026.
- Who's affected
- Employers whose workers handle cargo in marine terminals and longshoring operations, such as port and harbor operations and marine cargo handling.
- What to do
- This rule creates no new duties for employers. It removes one federal requirement. Safety teams may want to update training and policy materials that cite the old standard, and check whether a state safety plan still has its own rule.
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Effective
Occupational Safety and Health Administration revokes its House Falls in Marine Terminals Standard
- What changed
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) removed its House Falls in Marine Terminals Standard, section 1917.41 of title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), effective April 17, 2026. That standard covered span beams, safe access and daily gear inspections for house fall operations.
- Who's affected
- Employers in marine terminal and longshoring operations, such as port and harbor operations and marine cargo handling. OSHA-approved State Plans do not have to change their own standards.
- What to do
- This rule creates no new duties for employers. If your terminal still uses house falls, OSHA says the Occupational Safety and Health Act's general duty clause still requires you to protect employees from the known hazards of that use.