Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff Revisions to Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Personal Protective Equipment in Construction rule explicitly require garments, head or eye protection gear and other PPE to fit properly. Revisions the agency finalized earlier this month align the standard for construction with corresponding language in PPE standards for general industry and shipyards. “Ill-fitting PPE…
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OSHA stresses site-specific plans in proposed heat protection standard
Under a proposed rule unveiled last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive indoor or outdoor temperatures. “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention” calls for employers to evaluate risks and—when increasing temperatures raise worker exposure—implement requirements for drinking water, rest breaks…
Read MoreOSHA proposes site-specific plans in heat protection standard
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff Under a proposed rule unveiled the second week of summer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive indoor or outdoor temperatures. “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention” calls for employers to evaluate risks and—when…
Read MoreWork ethic takes center stage
We reflect this month on 2024 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association convention notables: Committee awards and Chairman Nathan McKean’s enthusiastic industry view. Here, we extend the Florida gathering’s salutes to NRMCA Executive Vice President, Operations and Compliance Gary Mullings, who has retired from day-to-day duty after 50-plus years with the organization. Luckily, he continues as a consultant, primarily assisting the…
Read MoreOSHA cites contractors in failure of precast soundwall-bearing crane
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators have cited Concrete Impressions of Florida Inc., Plant City precast sound barrier panel producer and installer, and Adcock Cranes Inc., Tampa lifting services provider, with one other-than serious and two serious violations tied to a 2023 Orlando highway ramp site fatality. Investigators determined that a boom crane…
Read MoreSurvey: White House rule discourages construction apprenticeship participation
An Associated Builders & Contractors survey finds the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) controversial, 180,000-plus word proposed rule overhauling regulations related to government-registered apprenticeship programs (GRAPs) will discourage apprentices, contractors and ABC chapter apprenticeship program providers from participating in the Department-backed system. “Initial feedback on changes to apprenticeship regulations has been overwhelmingly negative and these survey results make it clear…
Read MoreOSHA seeks maximum penalty in heat related concrete finisher fatality
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff SJ&L General Contractor LLC faces $16,100 in proposed penalties—the amount set by federal statute—after Occupational Safety and Health Administrators investigators determined that the Huntsville, Ala. firm exposed a 19-member crew on a local concrete curbing job to extreme heat hazards. Amid a 107° heat index and 85 percent humidity, the July 2023…
Read MoreOSHA inspectors’ PPE evolution: Helmets on, hard hats shelved
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is replacing traditional hard hats with safety helmets, citing greater protection prospects for inspectors while noting, “OSHA wants employers to make safety and health a core value in their workplaces and is committed to doing the same by leading by example and embracing the evolution of…
Read MoreLabor Department rule broadens Form 300 data submission requirements
Under “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” a final rule effective January 2024, the Labor Department requires certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness information to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Establishments with 100 or more employees in cement, concrete, construction and other industries deemed high-hazard based on reportable incident rates must relay Form 300-Log of Work-Related…
Read MoreWorkplace heat-safety measures: Training vs. temperature triggers
Ahead of a month or more of vacation for some Washington, D.C. regulars, the White House instructed the Department of Labor to issue a first ever Hazard Alert in response to an unusually hot July. The agency will ramp up enforcement of heat-safety violations, increasing inspections in high-risk industries like construction, while its Occupational Safety and Health Administration belabors a…
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