Search Results for keywords:"safety standards"

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued special conditions for the Airbus Model A330-243 airplane, which is being modified by TC Inter-Informatics to include unique oblique side-facing seats with inflatable lapbelts. These conditions address the lack of adequate safety standards in existing regulations for this type of seating. They include criteria for injury protection, body contact, neck and spine protection, and head rotation limits to ensure passenger safety. The FAA invites public comments on these special conditions, which will apply to other models if the same seat configuration is used.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), part of the Labor Department, received a petition from ACNR Holdings, Inc. to modify existing safety standards for certain mines in West Virginia. They propose using the 3M Versaflo TR-800 Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) as an alternative for respirable dust protection near mining areas. ACNR Holdings argues that their proposed alternative method will provide the same or better safety for miners. The public is invited to comment on this petition by May 19, 2025.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is seeking public comments on a revised safety standard for stationary activity centers, originally referenced by the ASTM F2012-18ε1 standard. The new standard, ASTM F2012-2024, has been updated by ASTM, and CPSC is evaluating its impact on product safety. The public has until February 4, 2025, to submit their comments. The revision and its potential to improve safety are being assessed under the guidelines of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has decided to renew exemptions for 13 individuals, allowing them to continue driving commercial motor vehicles across state lines, despite not meeting hearing requirements outlined in federal regulations. These exemptions, which span a two-year period, permit deaf or hard-of-hearing drivers to operate safely under specific conditions. Upon evaluation, the FMCSA determined that these drivers could maintain a level of safety equal to or greater than if they complied with existing hearing standards. The exemptions can be revoked if drivers do not adhere to the set conditions or if safety levels decline.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed a rule change to allow individuals with vision impairments in one eye to operate commercial motor vehicles without needing an exemption. Currently, these individuals need an exemption to drive interstate. The new rule suggests using a standard that includes a road test instead of requiring three years of intrastate driving experience. This change aims to simplify the qualification process and improve employment opportunities for drivers while maintaining safety standards.

A petition has been submitted by ACI Tygart Valley to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requesting a modification to the current safety standards for the Leer Mine in West Virginia. The petition asks to use new respiratory protective equipment, specifically the 3M Versaflo TR-800 and CleanSpace EX powered air purifying respirators, as an alternative to existing equipment that is no longer available. Even though these new respirators are not MSHA-approved, the petitioner argues that they provide equivalent safety standards. The petition includes detailed safety and operational conditions, and public comments are invited until April 21, 2025.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has decided to renew vision requirement exemptions for 63 commercial vehicle drivers. These exemptions allow individuals to operate in interstate commerce with vision issues in one eye. The FMCSA concluded that continuing these exemptions maintains or exceeds current safety levels. No public comments were received during the announcement period, and the exemptions are valid for two years starting in December 2020, unless revoked earlier.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that it will not enforce the compliance of specific bus safety rules, known as the Bus Rollover Structural Integrity final rule, until March 20, 2025. These rules require buses to pass a rollover test to ensure passenger protection, and they were supposed to take effect on December 30, 2024. However, due to a regulatory review ordered by the President, NHTSA is allowing time for further examination to ensure the rules align with legal and policy standards.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has granted a five-year exemption to Daimler Trucks North America, allowing six drivers with German commercial licenses to drive commercial vehicles in the U.S. without a U.S. commercial driver's license. This exemption helps the drivers test Daimler vehicles in real-world conditions to ensure product standards. The drivers must comply with specific safety conditions, including being accompanied by a U.S. CDL holder and undergoing a drug and alcohol testing program similar to U.S. requirements. The FMCSA believes this will maintain or enhance safety standards on U.S. roads.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is inviting public comments about its plan to renew the collection of information related to aerial navigation aids and other electrical/electronic facilities. These facilities are operated by non-federal sponsors like state and local governments or private businesses, and the collected information ensures they meet FAA safety standards. The FAA is not changing how they collect this information, just renewing their legal authority to do so. Comments can be submitted until April 7, 2025, and will help the FAA assess the necessity and accuracy of this information collection.