Feds set groundwork for sustained Labor, EPA rule, regulation roll back

Sources: Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), Washington, D.C.; CP staff

ABC Government Affairs staff has assessed the Trump Administration’s recently released 2017 regulatory agenda, noting the prospect for significant relief from rules or measures the Department of Labor and Environmental Protection Agency adopted under President Barack Obama.

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Lock-out/tag-out standard update appears on OSHA radar

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor; CP staff

The Trump Administration’s first regulatory agenda, released late last month and projecting key Labor and Transportation Department plus Environmental Protection Agency actions, calls for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a formal Request for Information (RFI) on new technologies conflicting with the current lock-out/tag-out standard.

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FMCSA crash preventability efforts open accident fault discussion

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff

Under a pilot for its 24-month or longer Crash Preventability Program Demonstration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is accepting truck owner or operator requests for data reviews (RDR)—plus supporting documents, photos or video footage—when accidents entail commercial motor vehicles being struck a) in the rear; b) by a motorist driving under the influence or in the wrong direction; c) while legally stopped or parked; d) by an individual committing or attempting to commit suicide by stepping or driving in front of the truck; or, e) by cargo or equipment from another vehicle. The program is also open to RDR in the case of a commercial motor vehicle sustaining damage after striking an animal in the roadway or being involved in a crash attributable to infrastructure failure, falling trees, rocks or other debris.

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Transportation agencies put proposed sleep apnea testing to rest

Sources: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA); CP staff

FMCSA and the Federal Railroad Administration have withdrawn a March 2016 advance notice of proposed rulemaking concerning the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals occupying safety-sensitive highway or rail transportation positions. The agencies believe that current safety programs and FRA’s rulemaking addressing fatigue risk management are the appropriate avenues to address OSA.

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