Construction Safety


Roofing Contractor Cited in Worker's 15-Foot Fall

"We found employees working without any form of fall protection at heights up to 15 feet, even though this employer well knows the requirement for fall protection whenever employees work at heights of 6 feet or above," said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's area director for Rhode Island.

OSHA Blasts Massachusetts Demolition Firm for Fall Hazards

OSHA's inspection found USA Demolition employees exposed to falls from 10 to 20 feet while working without fall protection on the building's roof.

The rule says employers must perform a pre-erection inspection of tower cranes.

Cranes and Derricks Standard Takes Effect

Nov. 8 is a rarity on the safety and health calendar: An OSHA final rule became effective as of that date, having been published Aug. 9, 2010.

Canadian Firm Recalls Machine Oil

It was not sold as an individual product but was packaged with power tools sold by Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd. of Toronto from January 2004 to May 2010. Health Canada says the company has sold compliant oil since then.

NIOSH Offers Lead Overexposure Data Source

The online page allows users to track the trend lines for elevated blood lead levels in adult workers from 2002 through 2008 in construction, manufacturing, mining, and service industries.

Trenching Hazards Lead to $67,000 Fine for Delaware Construction Firm

"Excavation is recognized as one of the most hazardous construction operations. However, cave-ins are easily avoided when the proper precautions are taken," said Domenick Salvatore, director of OSHA's Wilmington Area Office.

Roco Rescue conducts rescue training with this facility at its headquarters in Baton Rouge, La.

Getting Rescue Right

Fatal incidents where rescue capability is not standing by and available are all too frequent.

Delivered online, the hi-lo course is ready for employees to take whenever they sit down at a computer during the next rainy day. (Dave Edwards/Grand Valley State University photo)

Online Training's Many Benefits

While the time savings vary greatly, a rough estimate is that safety managers spent 40 percent of their time delivering training in the pre-online era and now spend 10 percent of their time on it.



Easy, Deadly Gas Blows

OSHA warned gas power plant operators they could face similar fines if the same thing happens at a plant they build or renovate.

Ohio Construction Company Cited $57,600 for Fall Protection Violations

"Falling is the great safety hazard for workers on roofing projects, and B.O.S.S. Construction has demonstrated a pattern of disregard for its workers' safety by failing to ensure fall protection is in place on jobsites," said OSHA Area Director Jule Hovi.

System Warns of Imminent Landslides

Thought to be the first system of its kind, it works by measuring and analyzing the acoustic behavior of soil to establish when a landslide is imminent so preventive action can be taken.

Two Roofing Firms Face $295,000 in Fines Following Worker's Fatal 40-Foot Fall

"Falls are the number-one reason workers performing construction work are hurt or killed. There is no excuse for an employer in the construction industry to not provide the necessary equipment and training for workers performing roofing work," said Charles Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo.

OSHA Interpretations Flowing Again

The latest two are dated Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Both concern interpretations of construction standards.

DOL Strategic Plan Sets Lofty Safety Goals

The 2016 target for federal agencies' rate for lost-time injuries and illnesses is 1.07, which is a 27 percent improvement from 2009's 1.48, according to the DOL plan.

Worker's Death at Paper Mill in Niagara Falls Leads to $75K in Fines

The worker was crushed when he became caught between a fixed metal barrier and a large paper roll that was moving on a conveyor. OSHA identified other hazardous conditions that were not related to the fatality; those resulted in two repeat and two serious citations.

Pipeline Firm Digs Up $62,800 in Fines for Excavation Hazards

The company is being cited with two repeat violations and $56,000 in proposed penalties for failing to inspect a trench after conditions changed. In addition, the company is being cited for exposing workers to engulfment hazards by not having a protective system in place to prevent a trench collapse.

ICC Offers Free Download of Energy Code

According to DOE, the 2009 IECC now available will produce approximately 15 percent in residential energy efficiency gains compared to the 2006 edition.

Harwood Targeted Grants for Green Jobs, MSDs, Nano, More

Sixteen organizations receive $2.75 million in one-year grants to develop training materials about nanomaterials, work zone safety, green roofing jobs, beryllium, and several others.

Porta-King Penalized $124,000 for Hazardous Spray Painting, More

The violations address hazards associated with spray painting outside of a predetermined, designated spray booth, and the use of powered industrial truck fork extensions without manufacturer notification, approval and determination of lifting capacity.

Updated Hydraulic Breaker Safety Manual Available

Expanded from 48 to 68 pages, the AEM manual covers current best practices for using carrier mounted hydraulic breakers on skid steer loaders, compact excavators, hydraulic excavators, and loader backhoes.

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