SAFETY & COMPLIANCE NEWS
Keep up to date on the latest developments affecting OSHA, DOT, EPA, and DOL regulatory compliance.
Copyright 2025 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.
FEATURED NEWS
2025-05-09T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsFleet SafetyRisk Management TransportationRisk Management - Motor CarrierTransportationIn-Depth ArticleEnglishFocus AreaUSA
Expert Insights: A lull in regulations doesn’t mean a lapse in safety
As federal agencies are in the process of reorganizing under the new administration, many businesses are left wondering how this might impact safety if proposed and final rules come to a standstill.
There have always been stretches when federal agencies don’t publish new major rulemakings. This is nothing new. In fact, OSHA historically publishes a major rule only once every few years.
But lack of regulatory activity doesn’t mean your job gets any easier. Businesses, including motor carriers, must still comply with existing regulations. So, nothing is stripped from your workload, and safety remains the norm.
Rules still enforced
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) will continue to be enforced during:
- A roadside inspection. Officers will ask for specific documents and inspect both the vehicle and driver for compliance.
- An audit. Motor carriers must present mandated records and allow enforcement to examine commercial vehicles.
Violations of the FMCSRs or HMR will continue to result in citations and fines when found during a roadside inspection or audit.
State requirements
Aside from federal agencies, motor carriers must still comply with and monitor applicable state laws and regulations. They must be aware of state changes that impact their locations, including workplace safety, transportation, environmental, and employment requirements.
Risk management
Compliance doesn’t always equal safety. A motor carrier could pass a DOT audit but still be a risk. The safety regulations are minimum safeguards. Hypothetically, even if every safety regulation was repealed, a safety manager’s job would not end. Companies have a moral and legal obligation to protect employees, customers, and the public from hazards.
Key to remember: With or without new regulations, safety supervisors will typically exceed requirements through best practices, company policies, and industry norms.
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RECENT INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS
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HR Monthly Round Up - April 2025
In this April 2025 roundup video, we’ll review the most impactful HR news.
Welcome, everyone! In the next few minutes, we’ll review the latest HR news. Let’s get started.
Minor changes were recently made to the Form I-9, a document that’s used during the hiring process. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released the updated form on April 2. Employers may use the new version or previous versions through the expiration date noted on the form. The changes made on the Form I-9 are also reflected in the E-Verify system.
In April, the U.S. Department of Labor reached an agreement with a Missouri roofing contractor after an investigation found the contractor violated federal laws that led to a teen worker’s fatal fall in March 2023. The contractor violated child labor laws under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act by employing minors illegally in roofing work.
Employers often believe that OSHA regulations cover worker age limits, but that’s not the case. Companies employing minors should be aware that the federal FLSA and state child labor laws limit the types of work that can be performed by individuals under 18 years of age.
And finally, on April 23, the president issued an executive order aimed at eliminating the use of disparate-impact liability. Disparate impact means indirect discrimination.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment practices that discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. A 1991 amendment to Title VII made disparate-impact discrimination illegal.
So, while this executive order doesn’t repeal Title VII or its amendment, it will likely affect how federal agencies handle discrimination charges. These charges can still be filed, but to comply with this executive order, agencies won’t pursue them.
Private lawsuits can still be filed, and, in addition, state agencies may continue investigating disparate-impact charges under state laws. Therefore, employers should avoid hiring and promotion practices that have an adverse effect on any protected group.
That’s all the HR news we have time for today. Thanks for watching. See you next month!
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Transport Monthly Round Up - April 2025
In this April 2025 roundup video, we will discuss CVSA International Roadcheck, Operation Safe Driver Week, and a new medical certification process for CDL holders.
In this April 2025 round up, we will discuss CVSA International Roadcheck, Operation Safe Driver Week, and a new medical certification process for CDL holders.
Let’s get started.
We touched on this last month, but I want to lead off by talking about the upcoming CVSA International Roadcheck event coming up in May.
This year’s event, running from May 13-15, 2025, will focus on tires and false records of duty status (RODS).
Inspectors will look for low tread depth, audible air leaks, flat tires, belt material, tread or sidewall separation, bulges, improper tire repairs, and items lodged between dual tires.
While checking RODS for compliance, inspectors will look for electronic logging device tampering, ghost drivers, improper use of personal conveyance and other exceptions (like adverse driving conditions), and recording off-duty time while performing work.
Carriers must make sure their drivers are ready to pass these inspections, both during Roadcheck and all year long.
Operation Safe Driver Week will run from July 13-19 this year, with a focus on reckless, careless, and dangerous driving. Officers in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. will be looking out for commercial drivers’ unsafe driving habits — don’t be one of the offenders!
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) runs Operation Safe Driver Week every summer to help encourage safe driver practices and improve road safety for everyone. Law enforcement personnel are looking for:
- Speeding,
- Following too closely,
- Drunk driving,
- Drugged driving,
- Distracting driving, and
- Other unsafe driving habits.
During last year’s initiative, officers in Canada and the U.S. pulled over 11,050 vehicles, issued 2,712 tickets and citations, and gave 3,228 warnings to both commercial and passenger vehicle drivers. Prepare your drivers and be ready for this important enforcement campaign.
Drive like someone’s watching — because they are! | J. J. Keller® Compliance Network
By June 23, 2025, all State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) must be connected to the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME). This system is where examiners enter medical certification information after each exam.
What’s changing by June 23, 2025:
- CDL drivers won’t need to self-certify each medical card with the SDLA.
- CDL drivers are not required to be issued a medical card, so they must ask for one from the examiner to have proof of the new certification (It takes 2-5 days to update the MVR).
- Carriers won’t need to note that the examiner was on the registry on the date of the exam but should still get a CDL driver's medical card copy until the MVR is updated.
CDL drivers and carriers should check the SDLA websites for their transition dates and instructions on CDL driver medical certification.
That’s it for this month’s round up. Stay safe, and thanks for watching.
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EHS Monthly Round Up - April 2025
In this April 2025 roundup video, we'll review the most impactful environmental health and safety news.
Hi everyone! Welcome to the monthly news roundup video, where we’ll review the most impactful environmental health and safety news. Let’s take a look at what’s happened over the last month!
On April 17, OSHA released 2024 injury and illness data. This includes information from more than 370,000 establishments that submitted Form 300A, as well as partial data from more than 732,000 Form 300 and Form 301 records. OSHA provides public access to the data in an effort to identify unsafe conditions and workplace hazards that may lead to occupational injuries and illnesses.
This year’s National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents took place the week of April 21. Struck-by incidents are the second leading cause of death among construction workers and the leading cause of nonfatal injuries in the construction industry. The stand-down emphasized the importance of training and prevention on worksites.
A safety alert from the Mine Safety and Health Administration urges the mining community to implement effective safety and health programs, with a focus on identifying and eliminating health and safety hazards. The alert was issued due to a high number of mining fatalities in the first quarter of 2025.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration temporarily paused its silica enforcement for coal mine operators until August 18, four months from its original compliance date of April 14. Under the agency’s silica rule, mine operators must update their respiratory protection programs. This may require them to obtain additional respirators and sampling devices. The agency says this four-month pause provides time for operators to come into compliance.
And finally, turning to environmental news, EPA updated the process for making data corrections to hazardous waste manifests. Waste handlers must correct errors on the manifest within 30 days of a request from EPA or a state agency. They also must submit corrections electronically.
And finally, EPA streamlined its pesticide registration process. The agency updated its MyPest app and made policy changes regarding how to submit two of its registration forms.
Thanks for tuning in to the monthly news roundup. We’ll see you next month!
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2025-05-08T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsWaste GeneratorsWaste/HazWasteWasteEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)EnvironmentalIn-Depth ArticleUSAEnglishFocus AreaWaste Reporting
Small quantity generators: Ready for RCRA re-notifications?
You’ve likely never thought of “staying in touch” as a legal obligation, but that’s exactly what it is for facilities that generate small quantities of hazardous waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates that small quantity generators (SQGs) give updates on their hazardous waste activities every four years. The next re-notification is right around the corner; it’s due by September 1, 2025.
Here's what SQGs need to know to stay in touch — and in compliance — with EPA.
What’s the re-notification requirement?
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) enables EPA to control hazardous waste from generation to disposal. The agency keeps tabs on SQGs through the re-notification regulation at 40 CFR 262.18(d). It requires SQGs to re-notify EPA or the state environmental agency of their generator status and activities every four years by submitting the:
- Notification of RCRA Subtitle C Activities, also known as the Site Identification (ID) Form (EPA Form 8700-12), or
- State-equivalent form.
How do SQGs re-notify?
Regulated SQGs must submit the Site ID Form. EPA and many states use the myRCRAid module on RCRA Information (RCRAInfo) for re-notifications.
Here’s how to submit the Site ID Form on myRCRAid:
- Log in to RCRAInfo.
- Click “Create New Submission” on the myRCRAid tab.
- Select the reason for submittal as “Obtaining or updating an EPA ID number for on-going regulated activities (Items 10–17) that will continue for a period of time."
- Review and update the information about your site as needed, including the facility’s:
- EPA ID number,
- Name and location address,
- Mailing address,
- Land type,
- North American Industry Classification System (or NAICS) code,
- Site contact information,
- Legal owner/operator information,
- Type of regulated waste activity,
- Additional regulated waste activities, and
- Status as:
- An academic entity with laboratories,
- An episodic generator,
- A large quantity generator (LQG) consolidating very small quantity generator hazardous waste,
- An LQG site closing a Central Accumulation Area or facility,
- A secondary hazardous material manager, and
- A contractor of an electronic manifest broker.
- Include any additional information in the comments section (Item 18).
- Click “Review.” Make any needed corrections to the information. Once this is complete, myRCRAid will display the Review Source Record page.
- Submit the re-notification:
- If you don’t have Certifier permission, click “Mark Ready for Signature.” The application will save the form in the “In Progress” section on myRCRAid and notify individuals at your facility with Certifier and Site Manager permissions. The status will display “Ready for Signature."
- If you have Certifier permission, confirm that the data is correct and click “Sign & Submit” to electronically sign the submission.
Once you submit the Site ID Form, its status on myRCRAid will display “Pending.” EPA or the state regulator will approve or reject the re-notification submission.
Re-notification recommendations
Consider these tips when preparing your SQG re-notification:
- Most RCRA programs are implemented at the state level. Confirm the re-notification regulations with your state environmental agency. It may not use myRCRAid and may require more frequent submissions.
- Ensure you have the necessary RCRAInfo permissions to submit the SQG re-notification. A Preparer can enter information into the Site ID form, but only a Certifier or Site Manager may sign and submit it.
- EPA accepts submission of the Site ID form at any time within the four years before the next re-notification deadline, so you can submit the re-notification before September 1. Verify with your state whether the same allowance applies.
Submitting the SQG re-notification properly keeps EPA updated and your facility compliant.
Key to remember: Small quantity generators of hazardous waste must re-notify EPA or the state agency by September 1, 2025.
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2025-05-08T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsIndustry NewsCMV Parts and MaintenanceFocus AreaFleet OperationsEnglishVehicle maintenanceTransportationUSA
Tax repeal could lead to safety and environmental benefits
New research suggests that eliminating the 12-percent federal tax on new trucks and equipment could unlock real-world safety and environmental benefits.
Research from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) finds that repealing the 12-percent federal excise tax (FET) on new trucks and trucking equipment would promote new truck sales, effectively replacing older, less efficient trucks.
Benefits of the FET repeal
The main benefits of the repeal include:
- Environmental benefits: Trucking industry CO2 emissions would decrease at an estimated 1.2 million metric tons per year, ATRI says. This totals 66 million fewer metric tons of CO2 over 10 years.
- Safety benefits: Replacing older trucks more quickly reduces safety technology costs, generating more Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) equipment purchasing. ATRI estimates there would be about 750 fewer annual vehicle crashes as a result, saving close to $13.5 billion in crash costs over 10 years.
In addition, ATRI’s report finds that the Truck FET revenue generated for the Highway Trust Fund comes with limitations that could be replaced with less volatile funding choices.
Background and research efforts
The Truck FET is a World War 1 era tax on new trucks. This tax adds an approximate $20,000-50,000+ in additional costs to each new truck purchased. The added cost acts as a deterrent to sales of new trucks and trucking equipment.
ATRI research involved estimating the age and annual mileage of Class 8 trucks in the U.S. to understand what influence older trucks had on both safety and environmental impacts.
The report aims to help justify the repeal of the 12-percent FET on new trucks to help improve:
- Annual sales for dealers,
- Customers’ ability to improve their fleets, and
- Environmental and safety concerns across the industry.
Full report: Repealing the Federal Excise Tax on New Truck Equipment: Impacts and Opportunities for Industry Safety and Operations
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Copyright 2025 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.