Construction Industry Safety and Health

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On May 28, 2013, OSHA cited Massachusetts contractor Twin Pines Construction Inc. for alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards at its Durham, NH, work site. The wood framing contractor, based in Everett, Mass., faces a total of $290,700 in proposed fines following an inspection by OSHA's Concord Area Office.

On June 3, 2013, OSHA cited South River, NJ-based Mr. Concrete Corp. with four repeat and five serious safety violations, including scaffold and fall hazards, found at a Maywood, NJ, work site. OSHA's February inspection was initiated in response to imminent fall hazards observed by an OSHA compliance officer.

Last May, 28-year-old Adrien Zamora fell 40 feet from a scaffold while restoring an 11-story building in New York. It was his first day on the job, and he had not been given a fall protection harness or the necessary safety training. He left behind a wife and their two young daughters.

OSHA has cited Witt Plumbing Inc. for five safety violations, including two willful, after a worker died from injuries received when a trench collapsed at a job site in Hastings, Jan. 16. The worker was locating a sewage drain pipe at a home under construction when the unprotected trench collapsed.

Building and construction workers use ladders every day. Yet, like any piece of equipment that’s not properly maintained, used, and respected, they can let you down. Whenever you reach for a ladder, your first step should always be to think about which ladder is right for the job.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has produced a new smart phone app that enhances ladder safety. The app uses visual and audio signals to make it easier for workers using extension ladders to check the angle the ladder is positioned at, as well as access useful tips for using extension ladders safely.

In the wake of a building collapse that killed six people and injured 13 others, Philadelphia has moved swiftly to tighten regulations on contractors who work on demolitions.

Young and less experienced home building workers are the intended audience for a new publication from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) which is intended to help them avoid injuries.

OSHA has cited Accadia Site Contracting Inc. for alleged willful and serious excavation safety violations found at a water main site at Lewiston Road and McKinley Avenue in Niagara Falls. The Depew-based contractor faces a total of $84,000 in proposed fines after an inspection by OSHA's Buffalo Area Office.

OSHA has announced that it will propose extending the compliance date for the crane operator certification requirement by three years to Nov. 10, 2017. The proposal would also extend to the same date the existing phase-in requirement that employers ensure that their operators are qualified to operate the equipment.