Construction Industry Safety and Health - Articles - Page 50

Weekly news round-up

April 6, 2019

The most dangerous jobs in the U.S.; good news and bad news about opioid use and evidence mounts about the hazards of e-cigarettes. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

Roadside accidents in Mich., Ohio leaves construction workers dead, injured

April 5, 2019

A Michigan man is hospitalized with critical injuries after he was struck by a co-worker who was backing up in a construction zone. News sources say Daniel Clark Jr. has collapsed lungs, broken ribs, a fractured pelvis and other injuries. The incident occurred Wednesday morning along I-75, in Troy, a suburb of Detroit. Troy police responded to the accident at around 9:30 a.m. Clark had reportedly started working for the company on Monday.

Travelers cuts opioid use among injured construction workers

April 4, 2019

The Travelers Companies, Inc. reports that it has reduced opioid use by nearly 40 percent among the injured construction workers it has helped, thanks in part to the Early Severity Predictor® model, which helps predict which injured employees are at higher risk of experiencing chronic pain. Additionally, the insurance giant implemented a comprehensive pharmacy management program that monitors drug interactions, excessive dosing and abuse patterns to reduce the risk of opioid dependency.

Construction industry group to hold first EHS conference

April 3, 2019

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) – the leading association for the construction industry - will hold its first-ever Construction Safety, Health + Environmental Conference on July 23-25, 2019, in Seattle, Washington. The AGC says the conference will “hone in on the most critical safety, health, and environmental compliance and risk issues impacting the business of construction.”

ladder accident prevention, fall protection

What causes ladder accidents?

Mistakes like improper set up, standing on the top step, or accessing a roof with a stepladder

David Francis

April 3, 2019

Even though ladders have been around for most of recorded history, they haven't changed much in function and design since their primitive origins. This simple design is so practical almost everyone uses it; on the other hand, it is so basic it is also easy to misuse and can be dangerous.

From MSA – The Safety Company

Join us in support of National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction

April 2, 2019

There were 370 fatal falls to a lower level out of 991 construction fatalities in 2016 (BLS data). These deaths are preventable. While the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) mandates safety protocols to reduce incidences, employers can take action to help reduce hazards that lead to fall-related events. The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.

Worker crushed by a stack of plywood; company cited by Cal/OSHA

March 28, 2019

Cal/OSHA has cited a Bay Area contractor for serious safety violations after a worker was fatally crushed at a San Rafael construction site on September 18, 2018. Investigators determined that West Coast Land and Development, Inc. did not follow regulations when it stacked plywood vertically without securing it. The accident occurred when two employees of the Concord company were framing and installing a shear wall on the third floor of a house under construction.

Worker reports serious injury; employer gets him arrested by ICE

Text messages, phone calls tell the tale

March 21, 2019

OSHA has filed a lawsuit against a Boston, Massachusetts-based contractor, alleging that the company retaliated against an injured employee by facilitating his arrest. The complaint filed last month with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against Tara Construction Inc. and its chief executive officer, Pedro Pirez, states that the worker sustained a serious injury when he fell from a ladder on March 29, 2017. He reported his injury to his employers. OSHA found out about the fall and investigated.

Safety technology in the construction industry

Safety technology comes to construction industry

Everything from bionic builders (exosuits) to smart ID systems and intelligent robots

Lee Sadd

March 18, 2019

Though it's often characterized as a traditional blue-collar industry, construction has long been at the forefront of technological progress. It's critical that the development of safety, efficiency and structural technologies remains on the cutting edge.

OSHA wants to know all about your powered industrial trucks

March 11, 2019

OSHA is asking a lot of questions about powered industrial trucks – in an effort to gather information that may useful in a possible updating of standards for the vehicles. The standards became effective in 1971, and were based on industry consensus standards from 1969. Since then, national consensus standards have been updated several times.