Construction Safety


DOT Kicks Off 2019 National Work Zone Awareness Week

Federal, state, and local agencies across the country are taking part in the week's activities. The kickoff press event is taking place at the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge project site in Washington, D.C.

Expert Panel to Evaluate BQE Reconstruction Options

The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway's 1.5-mile section between the Atlantic Avenue Interchange and Sands Street is one of the most complex highway structures in the country. Built in 1954, it includes a triple-cantilever structure, of which the Brooklyn Heights promenade is the top tier.

Cal/OSHA Cites Construction Company After Workers Contract Valley Fever

Cal/OSHA was notified in September 2018 that the employees were hospitalized after being diagnosed with Valley Fever, also known as Coccidioidomycosis. Symptoms of the disease are similar to the flu and include fatigue, shortness of breath, and fever. Severe cases can cause serious lung problems.

Two Contractors Cited in Florida Double Fatality Case

The OSHA citations against PCL Construction Services, Inc. and Universal Engineering Sciences, Inc. say their use of the bolts and brackets and not the approved shoring towers created a collapse hazard on the seventh floor of a hotel under construction in Orlando last year.

WorkSafeBC Adds Slip & Fall to Manufacturing High Risk Strategy

The Manufacturing High Risk Strategy was introduced in 2018. It addresses seven strategic focus areas: machine guarding and lockout, powered tools, hand tools (knives), material handling (falling objects), falls from elevation, falls on the same level, and mobile equipment.

New Chairs Announced for Z359, A10 Standards Committees

Thomas Kramer, P.E., CSP, is the new chair of the Z359 Fall Protection Committee and John Johnson, CSP, is the new chair of the A10 Safety Requirements for Construction and Demolition Operations Committee. Both will serve three-year terms that can be reaffirmed for longer periods of service by the committees.

Although adopting Lean is ultimately something of a paradigm shift for most companies, getting started is easy. (Southland Industries photo)

Leaning into Construction Safety

Lean principles ensure everyone is on the same page from day one of a project and that each team member maintains a shared understanding of tasks, risks, goals, and procedures throughout construction.

The sixth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is set for May 6-10, 2019. Falls from height cause more than one-third of U.S. construction deaths.

Far Too Many Fatal Falls

The latest BLS CFOI data showed 747 construction trades workers died in 2017, and that fatal falls were at their highest level in the 26-year history of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.



NYC Department of Buildings Sets May Conference Date

This year's build safe│live safe Conference on Friday, May 10, will be a daylong series of seminars in which department experts discuss industry trends and highlight safe construction operations.

Skilled Trades Workers Put 25,000 Hours Into API's New Headquarters

"From API's new headquarters in Washington, D.C. to energy infrastructure projects across the nation, the natural gas and oil industry relies on skilled workers and the building trades unions to keep construction projects - from new buildings to energy infrastructure - safe and on schedule," said API President and CEO Mike Sommers.

OSHA Partnership in Place for Rhode Island Construction Project

The partnership with Dimeo Construction Company seeks to educate workers, control or eliminate serious hazards, and establish effective safety and health programs for the project, which broke ground in June 2018. It is the largest current construction project in Rhode Island.

Enforcement Guidance Issued for Crane Operator Evaluations

OSHA is enforcing the requirement that employers must evaluate their operators before allowing them to operate cranes independently, but it will offer compliance assistance rather than enforcement until April 15, for employers who have evaluated operators in accordance with the final rule and are making good-faith efforts to comply with the new documentation requirement.

NYC Construction Activity Down Slightly in 2018

The Department of Buildings issued 165,988 construction permits in 2018, down from 168,243 in 2017 -- a drop of about 1 percent. This was the first decline in total permits issued year-over-year since 2009. However, 2018's permit totals are the second highest on record.

Report Finds Construction Fatalities Continue to Increase in New York State

In the "Deadly Skyline: An Annual Report on Construction Fatalities in New York State" report, researchers found that while New York State has seen an increase in fatalities related to construction, construction fatality rates in New York City construction continue to decrease.

Northern Virginia Highways Projects Announced

In all, Transurban has committed more than $1 billion over the next five years to fund enhancements to the regional transportation network.

Struck-By Incidents and Falls Lead Work-Related Deaths in NC

The largest number of work-related deaths in North Carolina in 2018 were caused by struck-by incidents and falls, based on preliminary information released Jan. 25 by the North Carolina Department of Labor.

OSHA Issues $422,006 Fine to Texas Contractor

OSHA's inspectors determined that the company exposed employees to a hazardous atmosphere, failed to train employees on the health hazards of hydrogen sulfide, and did not drain water from the trench.

OSHA Cites Company in NYC Crane Collapse

"This employer knowingly put workers at risk by failing to ensure that the crane was operated by a competent person," said Kay Gee, OSHA's Manhattan Area Office Director. "Effective training of employees, knowledge of equipment’s limits, and correct operation of equipment are critical to preventing injuries."

AIHA Issues First Public Policy Agenda

"Addressing a problem of this scale calls for bold actions that are driven by scientific knowledge. That is why AIHA is proud to unveil its inaugural Public Policy Agenda," said AIHA President Cynthia A. Ostrowski.

L Trains' Shutdown Averted in NYC

MTA's L Train service provides 400,000 daily rides. The planned repair work on the L Train Tunnel to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy could be completed on nights and weekends only, with a single tube providing continued service in both directions during work periods.

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