Construction

Portland, OR – The forestry and logging industry in Oregon, together with the transportation industry, accounted for 30 of the 62 worker fatalities recorded by the Oregon Occupational Fatality and Assessment and Control Evaluation Program in 2014, according to OR-FACE’s recently published annual report.

Although the Zika virus has been in the news for much of 2016, many questions remain about the different ways it can be transmitted. On July 20, the National Safety Council, together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NIOSH, attempted to answer those questions.

Nashville, TN – Twenty-two worker deaths have occurred in Tennessee in the first seven months of 2016, indicating the state may surpass the number of on-the-job fatalities recorded in 2015, according to the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Bologna, Italy – Occupational safety and health professionals have underemphasized the significance of exposures to vapors, gases, dusts and fumes that may lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in workers, international scientific academy Collegium Ramazzini claims in a statement released July 19.

Washington – In an effort to encourage the development of technology to combat work-related hearing loss, OSHA, NIOSH, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration have partnered on a new competition.

University Park, PA – Temporary structures used on construction sites can be monitored and assessed for safety through the use of data-collecting sensors, according to new research from Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Architectural Engineering.

Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, OSHA statistics show, and falls from ladders account for roughly one-third of those fatalities. In 2013, ladders were the source of injury for 5,900 cases involving days away from work and 76 deaths in the construction industry, according to the 2016 edition of the National Safety Council chartbook, “Injury Facts.” These injuries and deaths are preventable.

Washington – The National Consumers League has repeated its call for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to require injury-prevention technology on all table saws sold in the United States.

New York – In the construction industry, contractors who invest more in worker safety achieve better bottom-line results than contractors who spend less on safety, according to the results of a recent survey.

Washington – On any given day, Republic Services sends about 15,000 trucks onto busy roads and residential streets for garbage pickup and recycling.