Construction Safety


OSHA Taking Applications for Online Outreach Training

The agency will sign five-year, non-financial agreements with the applicants it authorizes to deliver the 10-hour and 30-hour courses in construction, general industry, and maritime.

ISEA Seeks Participants for Review of Revised Hi-Vis Public Safety Vests Standard

The standard specifies the minimum amount of background and retro-reflective material and the performance characteristics for such materials used in construction of public safety vests.

Contractor Zapped with $60,800 in Fines for Electrocution, Fall Hazards

OSHA opened its inspection of A.C. Castle Construction upon observing employees working without fall protection on the building's roof and on a ladder jack scaffold, exposing them to falls of nearly 19 feet.

Two Construction Companies Cited in Worker's 20-Foot Fall

In September 2010, a worker with The Warehouse Co., a subcontractor of Winter Park Construction Co., fell approximately 21 feet to a concrete surface while passing furniture from a debris container mounted on the forks of a powered industrial truck.

NYC Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri

NYC Buildings Department Sets Safety Week Agenda

Taking place April 25-29, the Construction Safety Week will include presentations addressing accident prevention, new concrete requirements, safe use of scaffolds, and safety in demolition.

Asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer and other types of serious lung disease in workers when inhaled.

NIOSH Issues Asbestos Roadmap, Recommends More Research

"The NIOSH roadmap outlines a strategic framework for designing, conducting, and applying the research that will best serve the need to address persistent scientific uncertainties about occupational health and elongate mineral particles," said Director Dr. John Howard.

California DIR Fines Contractor $512,700 for Public Works Violations

The Marin County contractor, whose contractor’s license was revoked last May by the Contractor’s State License Board, is also prohibited from bidding on or receiving any public works contracts in California until 2013.

OSHA Unearths Trenching Hazards at Georgia Construction Site

In September 2010, as part of OSHA's National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation, a compliance officer observed several violations at a worksite where the company was installing pipe in a deep excavation.



MIOSHA Launches Initiative to Prevent Workplace Electrocutions

The MIOSH Act requires employers to provide "a workplace free of recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to the employees."

Worker's Death in Trench Leads to Contractor's $159,600 Fine

One employee died and another was hospitalized after wet, heavy soil collapsed into a deep trench while the men were installing a sewer pipe.

Contractor Fined $122,960 for Cave-In Hazards

The willful citation alleges that employees were working in a trench at a depth greater than 7 feet without cave-in protection during an October 2010 inspection.

Oregon Workplace Fatality Rate Drops to Lowest Level on Record

To some degree, the total may be tied to the economic downturn and increased unemployment.

OSHA Issues Cranes and Derricks Guidance for Small Businesses

This guide accompanies other OSHA compliance materials on crane-related topics available on the agency's website including a PowerPoint overview, Web chat transcript, Webinar, and fact sheets.

Asbestos Abatement Firm Fined $437,300 for Willful Violations

In August, L&I began an inspection at the company's worksite and found multiple safety problems, including open removal of dry asbestos with no containment and piles of bags containing chunks of dry asbestos materials.

The U.S. infrastructure needs top $2 trillion, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Lead Exposure in Road Construction

Researchers' findings have confirmed there is increased risk for those who work on roads in highly populated areas.

Many construction activities, including masonry and concrete work, can expose workers to crystalline silica, OSHA says.

Crystalline Silica Rule Pending at OIRA

The Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica proposed rule was received by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on Feb. 14. If the NPRM is published in April as planned, the agency will be trying to lower its PELS for general industry, construction, and maritime.

LeadCheck® Swabs provide a rapid, sensitive, specific test for leachable lead on any surface, according to the company.

3M Acquires Lead Test Maker

Terms of its acquisition of Hybrivet Systems Inc. weren't disclosed. The company's LeadCheck Swabs were the first test kit recognized under the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule.

Once hazardous areas have been discovered, identifying suitable measures to put in place to control risks and protect employees with training, equipment, and skills should be the next step.

Contractor Groups, Unions Backing Construction Leadership Project

Project LeAD is a study lasting several years that shows apprentices high-level skills for safety leadership at work sites. Plumbing and mechanical contractors and the United Association are involved.

Workers in Aqueduct Tunnel Exposed to Excess Noise Levels; Firm Fined $52,500

Employees were also exposed to fall hazards of up to 14 feet from a lack of fall protection and from using a ladder that did not extend at least 3 feet above the upper landing service for required stability.

The Alimak Hek MS ProMax mast climbing work platform (www.alimakhek.com) can reach 200 meters in height when anchored, according to the company.

Mast Climbing Industry Foresees Safety Gains

Several initiatives will make a positive impact this year, the co-chair of the Scaffold Industry Association's Mast Climbing Council has said. They include a revised design standard, training courses, materials from the SIA/OSHA alliance, and a CPWR white paper's recommendations.

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