Construction

New York – The construction industry comprises less than 4 percent of employment in New York state, but it accounts for 20 percent of the state’s occupational fatalities, according to the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.

Washington – Two new publications from OSHA are aimed at helping construction workers avoid falls from roofs.

OSHA’s two-week National Fall Prevention Stand-Down kicked off on May 4.

Washington – More than 20 years after OSHA issued a standard to regulate confined spaces in general industry, the agency has issued a similar rule specific to the construction industry.

Washington – OSHA has released a video to help promote its National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction campaign, set for May 4-15.

Washington – NIOSH has created a webpage to offer information about “green construction.”

Washington – The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on April 3 completed its review of OSHA’s Confined Spaces in Construction Standard, paving the way for the final rule to move forward.

Backing vehicles and equipment are a serious occupational hazard. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that, of the 443 struck-by fatalities at road construction sites between 2003 and 2010, 143 cases involved a vehicle or mobile equipment backing up.

More than 500 people were killed in roadway work zones in 2013. Although safety has improved during the past decade, experts say more needs to be done.

Washington – A new NIOSH document outlines best practices for minimizing the risk of crystalline silica exposure during asphalt pavement milling.