Construction News
Solis Announces Texas Construction Safety Initiative at ASSE Safety 2009
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis addressed thousands of attendees at the opening session of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Safety 2009 in San Antonio, where she introduced a new construction safety initiative in Texas and stressed the importance of workplace health and safety...
NYCOSH Report Highlights New York Workplace Fatalities
While New York state and New York City experienced a decrease in the rate of workplace fatalities in 2007, the rate is still “unacceptably high,” the New York Committee for Occupational Health and Safety (NYCOSH) said in its new report, “Dying for Work in New York.”...
Creating a Culture of Construction Workplace Safety Around the Globe
Inadequate fall protection continues to rank at the top of the list of OSHA citations in the United States. Of the 1,200 construction fatalities in 2008,...
OSHA Takes Steps to Eliminate Fraudulent Trainers, Strengthen Outreach Training Program
In an effort to crack down on fraudulent trainers, OSHA intends to strengthen the integrity of its 36-year-old Outreach Training Program by improving how trainers become authorized to teach and ensuring these trainers are in compliance with OSHA program guidelines. ...
OSHA proposes $79,000 in Fines For Fall Hazards
OSHA has cited a North Reading, Mass., roofing contractor for 16 alleged violations of safety and health standards...
OSHA cites Cambridge, Mass., Contractor For Confined Space Hazards
OSHA has cited a Cambridge, Mass., contractor for alleged willful and serious violations of safety and health standards ...
Occupational Electrical Injury and Fatality Trends: 1992-2007
As we focus on National Electrical Safety Month, it is important that we pause for a moment not only to recognize how far we have come in saving lives through safer work practices and enhanced equipment, but also to remember there is still much we can do ...
Solis Honors Fallen Workers, Unveils OSHA Plans for Worker Safety During Recovery Act Efforts
During a ceremony on Workers Memorial Day, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis paid tribute to workers who lost their lives on the job and revealed that OSHA’s economic recovery funds are slated for enforcement, training, construction data collection and more to help improve worker safety....
OSHA Proposes $60,000 in Fines Against Mass. Contractor for Cave-In Hazard
OSHA proposed $60,000 in fines against G. Lopes Construction Inc. for allegedly failing to provide cave-in protection for employees working in a 6-foot, 3-inch-deep excavation located in Taunton, Mass....
OSHA Fines Brunalli Construction Co. $180,950 for Fall and Drowning Hazards
Brunalli Construction Co. of Southington, Conn., faces $180,950 in proposed OSHA fines for allegedly failing to protect its employees against fall, drowning and other hazards while they worked to rebuild a bridge over the Housatonic River in the Falls Village section of Canaan, Conn....
ASSE: Consensus Standards Should Be Referenced in Cranes and Derricks Rule
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) expressed a variety of concerns focused on the failure to reference widely accepted national voluntary consensus standards addressing crane safety in the proposed updated federal Cranes and Derricks in Construction Rule in testimony by ASSE professional member Matt Burkart at a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) public hearing....
Fall Hazard at Mass. Worksite Leads to $70,000 in OSHA Fines
OSHA has cited Shawnlee Construction Inc. for an alleged willful violation of fall protection safety standards and proposed a $70,000 fine against the Plainville, Mass., wood framing contractor. The citation and proposed penalty follow an OSHA inspection at a building under construction in Chelsea, Mass....
New Standard Project to Protect Workers in Wind Generation Construction Operations
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently announced a new A10 Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) standard project to protect the safety and health of workers involved in construction and demolition operations for wind generation/turbine facilities....
Eighth Circuit Overrules Review Commission in OSHA/Summit Multi-Employer Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, ruled that in the case of Solis v. Summit Contractors Inc., OSHA regulation 29 C.F.R. Sec. 1910.12(a) “is unambiguous in that it does not preclude OSHA from issuing citations to employers for violations when their own employees are not exposed to any hazards related to the violations.” Therefore, according to the ruling, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) “abused its discretion in determining that the controlling employer citation policy conflicted with the regulation.”...
OSHA Cites Bloomer, Wis., Excavator for Safety Violations During Trenching Job
OSHA has cited A-1 Excavating Inc. of Bloomer, Wis., for alleged willful violations of federal workplace safety standards, proposing nearly $700,000 in penalties for numerous life-threatening violations at a trenching operation in Weston, Wis....
ORC Launches EHS Center of Excellence Wiki
ORC Worldwide has developed the Center of Excellence, a new, interactive online resource that makes EHS research results and best practice information publicly available. The Center is built on a wiki platform and is designed to foster collaboration among all EHS stakeholders....
OSU-OSHA Safety Day: Construction Safety Management at Health Care Facilities
At the 2009 OSU-OSHA Safety Day, one presenter highlighted the importance of not disrupting hospital operations or endangering patient safety when completing construction and maintenance work in health care settings....
OSU-OSHA Safety Day: VPP in Construction
Only 16 construction companies in Ohio and 23 in OSHA Region V currently are in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), according to Dave Wilson, assistant area director for OSHA’s Columbus, Ohio, office. But at the OSU-OSHA Safety Day on Jan. 27, dozens of attendees gathered to learn more about VPP for construction and to hear one safety director’s experience with the application process....
OSU-OSHA Safety Day: Managing Crane Safety
Crane operations carry a greater potential for disaster than nearly any other activity on a construction jobsite, according to John Merrill, the general manager for the crane division at Maxim Crane Works. Merrill presented a session on crane safety at the Ohio State University-OSHA (OSU-OSHA) Safety Day in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 27....
ASSE Requests Hearing on OSHA’s Proposed Crane Rule
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) in a recent comment has asked OSHA for a hearing to determine how the agency failed to include a single reference to A10 Safety Requirements for Construction and Demolition Operations voluntary consensus standards in its proposed rule on cranes and derricks in construction....
OSHA Proposes Revised Procedures for Fit Testing Respirators
OSHA has proposed two revised fit test procedures under the Respiratory Protection Standard for determining the effectiveness of respiratory protection facemasks....
OSHA Fines Roofing Company $50,000 for Fall Hazard
OSHA cited Peach State Roofing for an alleged workplace safety violation at a Sicklerville worksite. Headquartered in Rock Hill, S.C., the company had two employees working on the site; OSHA initiated its inspection on July 16, 2008...
Citations Issued for Fatality During Crane Dismantling
OSHA has completed inspections prompted by a fatal Aug. 14, 2008, accident at the former Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Mass. Employees were dismantling the 3,000-ton overhead Goliath gantry crane when one of its legs fell to the ground, crushing an employee and injuring three others....
OSHA Revises Voluntary Protection Programs
In the Jan. 9 Federal Register, OSHA published final changes to its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) that, among other enhancements, allow participation by companies with mobile workforces....
Skanska Recognizes Contractors Working to Prevent On-the-Job Falls
Beaverton, Ore.-based Skanska USA Building Inc. recently awarded top honors to several of its 40 largest subcontractors in a competition aimed at helping eliminate construction-related falls. ...
