OSHA has issued a direct final rule and notice of proposed rulemaking that applies the requirements of the August 2010 cranes and derricks in construction standard to demolition work and underground construction.
OSHA says its Southeast regional offices will increase enforcement efforts aimed at reducing an upward trend in construction-related fall fatalities. Falls are one of the four leading causes of employee fatalities in the Southeast.
Company demonstrated “blatant disregard” for worker safety
August 17, 2012
OSHA has cited specialty metal forgings producer A. Finkl & Sons Co. with 26 safety violations at the company's Chicago facility, including two willful violations that involve failing to provide fall protection around open pits and rectify multiple hazards found in crane inspections. Proposed penalties total $352,700.
On the heels of the hottest month in US history, OSHA continues to promote its smart phone-friendly Heat Safety Tool mobile app, which provides vital safety info on heat-related illness prevention.
A Texas construction safety group has received a $1.6 million dividend based on its overall loss ratio. The Texas Construction Association (TCA) safety group, designed by subcontractors to benefit subcontractors, received the payment from the Texas Mutual Insurance Company, the state’s leading provider of workers' compensation insurance.
Awarding work to companies with strong safety records would save state money
August 9, 2012
Occupational injuries and fatalities in the construction industry cost Maryland residents $712.8 million between 2008 and 2010, a new Public Citizen report shows.
The U.K.'s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has compiled health and safety lessons learned from the agency’s role as a regulator for the massive construction project completed for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The construction industry is getting some good news from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). According to an analysis of new federal data, construction spending in June rose to a 2-1/2 year high as double-digit percentage increases in private residential and nonresidential construction more than offset an ongoing downturn in public construction.
Asbestos was placed in plastic garbage bags and dumped in a field
July 26, 2012
An Illinois man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for the illegal removal, handling and disposal of asbestos from a Kankakee building in August 2009.
This summer’s Nik Wallenda tightrope walk across Niagara Falls was not only a marvel of daredevilry, but also a marvel of international co-operation, as regulators on both sides of the border worked together to make the event a reality, according to the Daily Commercial News and Construction Record.