Construction & Utilities

Oakland, CA – In response to a series of fatal incidents at construction sites in California, the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (also known as Cal/OSHA) has launched an inspection initiative.

Washington – OSHA intends to issue final rules on personal protective equipment; confined spaces; and slips, trips and falls by the end of the year, according to the recently published semiannual regulatory agenda.

Washington – Outdoor workers need to get plenty of water, rest and shade this summer, OSHA is reminding employers as part of the agency’s annual heat illness prevention campaign.

Washington – "Safety climate” is not the same as safety culture and is an important measurement for determining a construction project’s state of safety, according to a new report from NIOSH and the Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR).

Washington – NIOSH has developed a new five-year research and prevention plan aimed at reducing work-related deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes – the leading cause of worker fatalities.

Phoenix – OSHA’s threat to take away Arizona’s oversight of construction safety – prompted by alleged inadequacies in the state’s fall protection standard – is unnecessary in light of recently passed legislation, an attorney representing the state said in a May 1 letter to the federal agency.

Washington – OSHA should consider developing separate guidance for the construction industry on best practices pertaining to temporary workers, stakeholders suggested to an advisory committee workgroup that met May 7.

Washington – The safety of temporary workers will be the topic of discussion during a meeting, scheduled for May 9, of a National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health workgroup.

Washington – Certain smartphone and tablet applications designed to measure sound levels are accurate and reliable enough to assess occupational noise exposures, according to a new NIOSH study.

Washington – Falls – many involving ladders – are a leading cause of workplace injuries, according to a NIOSH study published April 25 in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.