Construction workers often face some of their industry’s most serious dangers—such as falls from elevation, being struck or crushed by equipment or other objects, and electrocution—but recent studies suggest another occupational concern is lurking silently at U.S. worksites: worker suicides. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the suicide rate for men in construction and extraction was five…
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ABC: Project labor agreement order ignores workforce realities
Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C. In light of the White House’s “Build Back Better” ambitions, Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs Ben Brubeck questions a new executive order encouraging project labor agreement (PLA) mandates on federal construction contracts exceeding $35 million. “The policy will not help America; instead, it will exacerbate the…
Read MoreOSHA short lists workplace heat exposure guidance
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is initiating enhanced measures to protect workers better in hot environments and reduce the dangers of exposure to ambient heat. While heat illness is largely preventable and incidents widely under reported, thousands of workers are sickened each year by workplace heat exposure, agency officials contend. In 2019, they add, 43 workers died from heat…
Read MoreArtificial intelligence, sensors drive injury reduction research for masons
Sources: University of Waterloo, Ontario; CP staff
Artificial intelligence (AI) is giving University of Waterloo researchers new insights to help reduce wear-and-tear injuries and boost the productivity of skilled construction workers. Motion sensor data and AI software reveal how expert bricklayers use previously unidentified techniques to limit the loads on their joints—knowledge that can now be passed on to apprentices.
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