A foodborne illness outbreak, a worker fatality at a car dealership and the first-ever public agenda issued by AIHA were among the top occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

From east to west, north to south, both federal OSHA and state-level agencies say busy conducting investigations and issuing citations to companies who violate safety regulations. This review of recent cases indicates a variety of citations issued, for confined space, fall and trenching hazards, among others.

OSHA has several ways in which it interacts with companies in programs that address industry-specific hazards or that help enhance worker safety on specific projects. The OSHA Strategic Partnership Program (OSPP) focuses on focus on improving safety and health in major corporations, government agencies, at large construction projects and private sector industries where OSHA has jurisdiction.

Two workers plunged to their deaths Wednesday morning when scaffolding on a hotel under construction outside the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida collapsed.

Two Colorado construction companies have been cited by OSHA after an employee fell to his death at a Greenwood Village worksite. The worker fell while installing metal roofing panels on a storage unit building. OSHA cited Hammers Construction Inc. and Montes Construction LLC for failing to use adequate fall protection and restrict employees from standing on the mid-rails of scissor lifts.

OSHA has cited Design Roofing LLC for exposing employees to fall and other safety hazards at residential construction sites in Scott Depot and Culloden, West Virginia. The company faces proposed penalties of $101,988. OSHA inspected the two work sites after receiving complaints of employees working without proper fall protection.

On May 7-11, the construction industry celebrates its commitment to safety on the jobsite and beyond as part of an industry-wide education and awareness event, Safety Week. During Safety Week, construction companies take the opportunity to thank their employees for their commitment to safety.

There are a wealth of resources available for helping raise awareness of fall hazards and how to abate them. From lesson plans to fact sheets to safety posters – in a variety of languages – employers who feel that they need some additional information can find it online. Here are some of those resources: NIOSH: Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction - Infographics by NIOSH and CPWR

The North Dakota Safety Council has put together information about (29 CFR 1926, Subpart M), the general construction fall protection rule, which may come in handy when you’re planning or conducting a Safety Stand-Down. The guide includes: Who the rule covers (most construction workers except those inspecting, investigating, or assessing workplace conditions prior to the actual start of work or after all work is done).