Construction

Tumwater, WA – The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health has released a bulletin that warns about the hazards of bark and mulch blower systems.

From 2000 to 2009, an average of 35 workers died every year in trenching or excavation cave-ins, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Whitewater, WI – One-third of residential construction contractors who participated in a recent study said their firms lacked written safety programs, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Bismarck, ND – OSHA is sending additional inspectors into North Dakota as part of an enforcement emphasis program intended to address worker safety concerns in the state’s high-hazard industries.

Washington – In response to recent worker deaths at demolition sites, OSHA has updated its webpage and safety resources addressing common hazards in the construction demolition industry.

Lansing, MI – The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration has approved two alternatives for complying with its rules on scissor lifts.

The temporary workforce in the United States is growing, as is the number of stories of temp workers being injured or killed on the job. Safety+Health examines the challenges of ensuring the safety of temporary workers, and the steps stakeholder groups and OSHA are taking to address the issue.

Silver Spring, MD – The number of construction deaths has increased for the first time since 2006, according to a report of 2012 data from the Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR).

Washington – Safer alternatives are available for toxic flame retardants used in commercial products such as building insulation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Atlanta – Workers in the construction and mining industries are among those most likely to smoke cigarettes and use smokeless tobacco products, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.