Philadelphia Construction Law Blog

A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted a long standing issue in construction workplace safety circles. The protection of residential contractors – roofing contractors in particular – from falls on the job. While the problem has been relatively quiet in recent years, it is starting to gain more attention as an increase in injuries and deaths from falls correlates with a rise in the new construction housing market.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is winding down its national Safety Stand Down Week. The effort, which s designed to create an increased awareness on safety issues, is suggested by OSHA in order to set aside a little extra time to teach and train on specific safety issues.

Kaplin Stewart attorneys will be offering the second in their series of presentations on OSHA Regulations on July 25, 2013.  This presentation , entitled “Working at Heights: It’s Not By Your Grandfather’s Rules Anymore”, will focus on the rules governing scaffolds, ladders, tying off, and other rules and regulations governing work at varying elevations.  The program will run from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at Kaplin Stewart’s Blue Bell office and breakfast will be served.

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.