An investigation that began after an OSHA compliance officer observed a roofing employee working on low slope roofs without fall protection turned up the information that it wasn’t first time the company had exposed its workers to life-threatening falls.
Dorchester, Massachusetts-based contractor Roof Kings LLC exposed employees to life-threatening falls - more than 45 feet off the ground - over a three-day period as they worked at a Haverhill church, federal workplace safety and health inspectors found.
R. Ronald Sokol, a 29-year member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, was appointed to the OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH), which is charged with advising the agency on setting construction standards and policy matters affecting federally financed or assisted construction.
Despite advances in safety for construction workers across a variety of settings, those who must use elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and aerial work platforms (AWPs) to perform their job duties remain at risk.
Accidents on construction projects cause too many painful injuries and claim far too many lives. Our primary concern when we discuss the factors or causes behind an accident is to find a way to prevent a recurrence. The cause of an accident can be found in two areas -- Unsafe Acts and Unsafe Conditions.
Most construction workers use hand tools. Some use them all day long. Using the wrong hand tool, or the right tool the wrong way, can injure the muscles, tendons, or nerves in your hand, wrist, or arm. These types of injuries develop over time. Early symptoms may include achy, tired hands and wrists that feel better after rest. It is easy to just write these off to a hard day’s work – and in some cases you can end up with an injury that might even force you to quit construction work.
A New York State Supreme Court judge ordered a general contractor to either create a TV public service announcement or pay a $10,000 fine for its role in the death of an employee at a construction site.
The following checklists from OSHA might help you take steps to avoid hazards that cause injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Note: conducting audits based on these checklists is not mandatory, though some of the bullet points are drawn from mandatory standards. OSHA states, “As always, be cautious and seek help if you are concerned about a potential hazard.”
A coalition of general contractor companies is among the nearly two dozen groups urging a New York Supreme Court judge to give a construction company owner the maximum sentence for a worker’s death.