OSHA Safety Issues Archives

The amended deadline for public comment on the new regulation pertaining to keeping records on construction worksite injuries is looming. As of today, public comment on the proposed change will close on March 8, 2014.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently concluded an investigation into possible lead exposure at a high profile construction project in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. The developer agreed to pay $3,000 in fines with no admission of liability. Its remediation subcontractor, however, was cited for 22 separate violations relating to lead exposure and hit with $34,000 in fines.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced this week that is was extending the public comment period for its new regulations on the use of crystalline silica in construction until January 27, 2014. The extension is seen as a concession to business and industry organizations, a large number of which asked for additional time to analyze the proposed rules and provide educated opinions on it. Certain Congressional Committees also asked for the extension.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final rule on the use of cranes and derricks in underground construction and demolition.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final rule to update construction signage standards recently.The new regulation adds references to the latest versions of the American National Standards Institute, or ANSI, on accident prevention with signs and tags. 

The dates for Pennsylvania’s annual conference on safety in the construction industry have been announced. The Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Conference, now in its 67th year, will take place at Hershey Lodge and Convention Center on October 28th and October 29th. The agenda for the conference is wide ranging and covers safety topics from aerial lifts to power tools to industrial hygiene.

With summer in full swing and the work weeks filling up with sweltering conditions for outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is renewing its emphasis on its “Water. Rest. Shade.” program. The informational effort is designed to warn workers about how heat stress occurs and, better yet, how to recognize the signs and prevent it.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently published new educational materials designed to help construction employers control exposure to airborne crystalline silica at construction sites. The 7 new fact sheets provide information on how to control the risks associated with silica exposure while working with grinders, angle grinders, jackhammers, rotary hammers, stationary and handheld masonry saws, and vehicle mounted drilling rigs.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration extended its temporary enforcement measures in residential construction until December 15, 2012. By offering, and now extending, priority free on-site compliance assistance, penalty reductions, extended abatement periods, and other measures to increase outreach and ensure consistency, OSHA is trying to decrease the number of fatal falls on residential sites. Falls are the number one cause of fatalities on residential construction projects.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, has issued a hazard alert in order to encourage employers to protect workers from excessive silica exposure during hydraulic fracturing activities. The warning follows the completion of a joint study by OSHA and NIOSH on exposure to high levels of silica.