Category: Construction

Fourth Annual Fall Prevention Stand-Down Coming in May

On May 8-12, OSHA will hold its fourth annual National Fall Prevention Stand-Down. Aimed at raising awareness of fall hazards in the construction industry, OSHA describes the event as “an opportunity for employers to have a conversation with employees about hazards, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies and goals.” Keep reading to find out […]

Construction Company Faces Six-Figure Fines

A Washington State construction company faces a large fine for numerous repeated safety violations that exposed workers to potential falls and other hazards at a residential construction site in Olympia.

Safety Group Calls for Action on Construction Job Fatalities

A coalition of safety advocates and labor groups in New York has released a report they say underscores the need for action on construction fatalities in the state. Find out what’s in the report and what the group wants to see changed.

excavation

Excavation Hazards at School Site Lead to Citation

Acting on a complaint in June 2016, the OSHA found employees of one of the area’s largest general contractors working in an unprotected 10-foot deep excavation at a suburban New Jersey high school, in violation of federal safety and health laws. As a result, OSHA issued citations for nine violations—one willful and eight serious—to the […]

OSHA Issues New Recommended Practices for Construction

OSHA recently issued Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in Construction to help industry employers develop proactive programs to keep their workplaces safe. According to the agency, the recommendations may be particularly helpful to small- and medium-sized contractors who lack safety and health specialists on staff.

Employer Not Getting the Message on Scaffolding Hazards

Citations against a contractor cited more than 40 times for scaffolding violations have been upheld by the commission that reviews contested OSHA cases. Despite years of enforcement activity, this employer has not shown encouraging signs of changing its ways. Get details here.

Construction Employer Alert: Trench Deaths Spiked in 2016

OSHA recently cited an Ohio company after a 33-year-old employee was crushed to death. The worker was digging soil out of a trench in Washington Township when the trench walls around him gave way, burying him in thousands of pounds of dirt.

Ammonia Risk Evaluation Good News—Or Not

Babies born in the year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last set a human health assessment for ammonia are adults now, and it looks like it’s not as risky now than it was back then. What does EPA’s new assessment portend for facilities that use ammonia and the standard set by the Occupational Safety […]