Construction

Washington – OSHA has published new guidance intended to help small businesses comply with the agency’s Confined Spaces in Construction Standard.

A quick online search will uncover a large number of fatal workplace incident reports involving forklifts. From workers being crushed by these vehicles to others being run over or backed over, incidents involving forklifts can cause injuries and deaths in many ways.

Birmingham, AL – An Alabama roofing contractor was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and 30 hours of community service for lying to OSHA about providing workers with fall protection equipment.

Silver Spring, MD – Almost one-fifth of progressive lung diseases among construction workers may be attributable to workplace exposures to vapors, gases, dusts and fumes, according to a study from the Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR) and Duke University.

Washington – In response to requests from the construction industry, OSHA is delaying full enforcement of its recently promulgated Confined Spaces in Construction Standard to allow employers additional time to comply with the rule.

Juneau, AK – In response to the death of a 23-year-old construction worker in a trenching incident in Anchorage, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development is highlighting the importance of training workers on safe trench work and excavations.

Washington – A simple solution could allow construction workers to reduce their exposure to crystalline silica when cutting fiber-cement siding, according to NIOSH.

Philadelphia – In a rare criminal prosecution for a workplace fatality, the Department of Justice has charged a roofing company owner with attempting to cover up his failure to provide fall protection for a worker who fell 45 feet to his death.

Washington – NIOSH is looking for companies that use spray polyurethane foam to participate in a study about the health effects of occupational exposure to flame retardants.

Washington – Hispanic immigrants who work for small construction firms are among the most at risk of being injured on the job, according to NIOSH and the American Society of Safety Engineers.