OSHA 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…

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EarthCam artificial intelligence algorithm delves job site safety

EarthCam, a specialist in live camera technology, content and services for construction interests, has unveiled a breakthrough in its artificial intelligence platform, whose latest algorithms can detect when workers are operating at height with significant accuracy. An incremental improvement in safe practices due to better awareness created by objective AI camera analytics has real potential to prevent many injuries and…

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ABC frowns on proposal to open OSHA inspections to third-party reps

Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff The Associated Builders and Contractors has outlined opposition to a Department of Labor-proposed rule, Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process, that would allow an employee to choose a third-party individual, such as an outside union representative, to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspector in nonunion facility visits.

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Workplace 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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Labor Department expands Form 300 data submission requirements

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor; CP staff Under “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” a final rule effective January 2024, the Labor Department is requiring certain employers in designated high-hazard industries 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…

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Fatal prestressed pile incident draws $59K OSHA penalty

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor; CP staff The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Miami heavy/civil contractor de Moya Group Inc. for four serious violations tied to a December 2022 accident on an Interstate 95 site, where a 90-ft., 18-in. square prestressed concrete pile—hoisted by a crane encountering unstable soil—struck an aerial lift boom. The impact sent two carpenters…

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OSHA releases 2022 Injury Tracking Application data

Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published 2022 injury and illness data based on reports by more than 300,000 establishments. Injury Tracking Application (IJA) data, posted here, stems from OSHA 300A information provided by employer subject to electronic record-keeping requirements.

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International Code Council personalizes theme for 2023 Building Safety Month

“Building Safety Starts with You!” is the theme for the International Code Council’s 43rd annual Building Safety Month. The educational and interactive campaign will take place in May to raise awareness about the importance of building codes in ensuring safety in the spaces we live, work, play and learn. Each year, ICC, its members and communities around the world celebrate…

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OSHA officials address sobering construction work suicide rates

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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Safety cap specialist documents rebar, stake impalement liability

Sources: J-Cat Safety Products, Temecula, Calif.  A new J-Cat Safety Products white paper addresses the use of rebar, metal forming stake and exposed bracket caps for California concrete practitioners and peers subject to Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. “Impact of Plausible Deniability” describes the financial consequences, starting at a reported $18,000, employers might face if they fail to comply…

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