Construction Safety Articles

Jim Smith, president of the American Society of Safety Engineers, made a statement regarding the nomination of Scott Mugno as head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

According to OSHA, more than 500,000 workers are employed in laboratories in the U.S.Many occupational incidents that occur in laboratories can be avoided or minimized with proper preventive measures. Workrite Uniform Co. offers a top 5 list of laboratory hazards and how to prevent these hazards from causing injuries and illnesses.

On May 3, 2017, a coalition of construction industry associations formally petitioned OSHA to begin a limited reopening of the agency’s March 25, 2016, final rule setting requirements for reduction of respirable crystalline silica in general industry, construction and maritime workplaces. Reopening the silica rulemaking does not make sense at this juncture. The standard’s validity is pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals, and a ruling is expected soon.

Although the Respirable Crystalline Silica construction standard (29 CFR 1926.1153), becomes enforceable on Sept. 23, 2017, compliance officers are, for the first 30 days of enforcement, to evaluate good-faith efforts taken by employers in their attempts to meet the new construction silica standard.

Struck-by hazards were a leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in construction from 2011 to 2015, says a new quarterly data report from The Center for Construction Research and Training. During this time period, 804 construction workers died from struck-by injuries, which is more than any other major industry, the report says.

Consensus standards provide invaluable guidance resources for OSH professionals to apply in their roles to protect people, property and the environment. ASSP has increased its presence in the standards-development arena to become a leader in the evolution of voluntary OSH standards.

A new behavior-based safety guidebook published by ASSE is now available on the Society’s website. "Actively Caring for People's Safety: How to Cultivate a Brother's/Sister's Keeper Work Culture" features lessons on the fundamental principles for cultivating an actively caring culture in any organization.

ASSE has crafted an “OSHA Reform Blueprint” that details its priorities and vision for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in a time of political change. The eight-page proposal calls for reforms to emphasize the management of risk, sharpen the agency’s focus on productive policies, and fill legislative and regulatory gaps.

On March 27, 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 13782 that revoked former President Obama’s EO 13673 (the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Order) that was originally signed into law on July 31, 2014. Worker safety advocates supported the rule, and see the revocation as a clear sign that Congress and the administration are focused on business interests and not worker safety.

Legislation directed at OSHA seldom makes it through Congress, so when an OSHA bill is signed into law, it gets attention and generates questions. And so it has been with H.J. Res. 83, the “resolution of disapproval” of OSHA’s Volks rule that passed both houses of Congress last month and was signed by President Trump.