Newsline

With Hurricane Florence approaching the East Coast, OSHA is reminding contractors of resources to help keep construction workers safe during natural disasters. Hurricane season peaks in September, and wildfires are still burning throughout the Pacific Northwest and from California to Colorado. OSHA urges employers to be prepared to keep their workers safe during extreme weather events. The agency’s Emergency Preparedness and Response webpage provides information on protecting workers before and after hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters strike. 

On Aug. 13, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued 53 Frequently Asked Questions to provide further guidance to employers and employees regarding OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standard for construction. Through the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, ABC was involved in the formulation of these FAQs.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently revised its Law and Regulations webpage to offer users easier navigation through OSHA standards and rulemaking. The updated webpage features more user-friendly settings, including information buttons that explain regulatory language that may be unfamiliar to some users, a list of key resources and the latest updates on active rulemaking.

On July 30, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking titled Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. According to OSHA, the proposal seeks to better protect personally identifiable information or data that could be re-identified with a particular individual by removing provisions of the 2016 Electronic Injury Reporting and Anti-Retaliation final rule.

Today, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent out a release reminding certain employers that the deadline for submitting their 2017 Form 300A data through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application is July 1. Learn which establishments are covered by this requirement and need to provide their 2017 Form 300A data through OSHA’s ITA.

On June 15, OSHA announced that it will extend the comment period on its proposal to ensure crane operators are qualified to safely operate equipment by an additional 15 days. Comments will now be accepted through July 5, 2018.

In testimony before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Kwest Group President and Chairman of the ABC National Safety and Health Committee Ryan Odendahl called for a collaborative effort between industry and the federal government to increase workplace safety and promote economic opportunity in the United States.

On May 21, 2018, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a proposed rule to update its standard for cranes and derricks in construction to ensure crane operators are qualified to safely operate equipment. Entitled Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Qualification, the rule proposes several changes to the existing standard.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will begin enforcement of the final rule on occupational exposure to beryllium in the construction industry on May 11, 2018. According to its May 10 press release and interim enforcement memorandum, OSHA will begin enforcing on May 11 the new lower 8-hour permissible exposure limit (PEL) and short-term (15-minute) exposure limit (STEL) for construction. 

ABC chapters across the country are celebrating Construction Safety Week 2018, May 7-11. These chapters are raising awareness about the importance of safety by hosting events, sharing resources, hosting safety stand-downs and more.