The Global Cold Chain Foundation (GCCF) is thrilled to welcome two distinguished experts to its Council of Scientific Advisors (CSA): Dr. Stephanie Clark and Dr. Debjit Roy. The CSA is dedicated to providing cutting-edge research and insights to cold chain industry stakeholders, and the addition of Dr. Clark and Dr. Roy brings even more expertise and knowledge to this prestigious group. Dr. Debjit Roy, Logistics & Operations Expert Meet Dr. Debjit Roy Dr. Debjit Roy is an Institute Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, specializing in Operations and Decision Sc ..read more

On May 10th, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, OSHA, issued a memorandum titled “Interim Guidance for Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process.” This memorandum outlines interim guidance for implementing the Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process final rule, the Walkaround rule, published on April 1, 2024, and will take effect May 31, 2024. The interim guidance clarifies that the authorized employee representative for OSHA inspections can be an employee of the employer or a third party, who may accompany the compliance safety and health officer ..read more

A coalition of attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday, challenging the agency’s new emission limits for heavy-duty trucks rule. The lawsuit claims that recently finalized rule, which aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas and other toxic emissions from mobile sources, is an unrealistic push towards electrifying the heavy truck industry before necessary infrastructure is in place. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers leads the coalition of over 20 states. The lawsuit was filed in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia C ..read more

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a final rule for public inspection updating the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS, 29 CFR 1910.1200). The updated HCS aligns with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), primarily Revision 7. The goal being to address issues encountered during the implementation of the 2012 HCS update and improves coordination with other U.S. agencies and international trading partners. The update aims to enhance the standard’s effectiveness by ensuring that employees are properly ..read more

GCCA is excited to announce that Brenda Gianiny will give a keynote address at the 2024 Cold Chain Policy Forum. Join Brenda as she offers her expert analysis on the State of the 2024 Election. This keynote will offer valuable insights on the battle for the White House, the balance of power in the House and Senate, key races to watch, and what issues are driving the electorate. Brenda, founding principal of Axis Research, is a nationally recognized expert in the field of public opinion research with over two decades of experience honed at the highest levels of corporate America and Republican ..read more

On Friday, May 17th, the House Agriculture Committee released the full text of the 2024 Farm Bill, The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. The release comes as the committee prepares for a full markup of the bill on May 23rd. GCCA will be in attendance for the committee action. GCCA is excited to announce that the text includes the expansion of the Foreign Market Development Program to address cold chain infrastructure development, as proposed in the FRIDGE Act, in Sec. 3201 of the text. GCCA greatly appreciates the support of FRIDGE Act cosponsors in the House and the leadership of ..read more

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is holding an additional webinar to present an overview of the March 2024 final rule on “Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims” and to offer guidance on the topic. The webinar will also include a question-and-answer session. Scheduled for May 15, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. ET, the webinar aims to assist establishments opting to include voluntary U.S.-origin claims (such as “Product of USA”) on FSIS-regulated product labels. These establishments must adhere to the new regulatory requirements by January 1, 2026, and ..read more

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) adopted Reciprocal Switching for Inadequate Service Rule, implementing new regulations to allow shippers and receivers to petition for a reciprocal switching agreement, aimed at promoting adequate rail service. The final rule establishes eligibility criteria based on objective performance standards for reliability, consistency, and first-mile/last-mile service. The STB will also consider affirmative defenses and the practicability of such agreements. Class I railroads will be required to submit standardized service data and provide individualized, machine ..read more

The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) joined 87 organizations in a letter to the Department of Labor urging them to delay the first increase to the minimum salary threshold under the new overtime final rule until at least September 1, 2024. The rule, published in April 2024, increases the minimum salary threshold from $35,568 to $43,888, with an effective date of July 1, 2024. The current timeline allows the affected community just two months to review the rule, identify necessary operational and payroll adjustments, communicate to affected workers the reasons behind changes to their pay, titl ..read more

The Department of Labor has announced changes to the structure of its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regional operations, aiming to direct resources more effectively. These changes include establishing a new OSHA regional office in Birmingham, Alabama, to oversee operations in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Florida Panhandle. The Birmingham Region will focus on addressing the needs of the growing worker population in the area, especially those in food processing, construction, heavy manufacturing, and chemical processing industries ..read more