Category: Regulations

July 25, 2024

It’s been a hot summer. The U.S. has faced multiple heat waves. Monday was the hottest-ever recorded day on the planet, beating the record set just the day before, AP News reported. For many workers, that’s meant laboring in intense […]

July 1, 2024

Fall protection equipment is vital for protecting individuals working at heights. To ensure the equipment works efficiently and is in excellent condition, you must have your fall protection equipment inspected annually. OSHA has many guidelines regarding fall protection systems so […]

June 11, 2024

The safety of workers on construction sites is not just a statistic; it’s a matter of life and death. In 2020 alone, there were a staggering 174,100 reported construction injuries and 1,034 tragic deaths, according to the U.S. Bureau of […]

May 28, 2024

In Chicago, the onus for scheduling required inspections falls on contractors, per the 2022 report. Other municipalities, such as New York City, follow the same mode. The 42 fully constructed buildings that OIG reviewed included 35 single-family homes, some of […]

May 20, 2024

The U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing $392,000 in penalties, after citing Chicago-area demolition subcontractor KLF Enterprises Inc. with 36 alleged violations—35 serious and one willful—for knowingly exposing workers to asbestos. OSHA also cited the […]

May 8, 2024

Construction Safety Week is an annual opportunity for people, companies and even competitors to work together and celebrate the incredibly hard work done by people in our industry who make safety the foundation of everything they do and demonstrate their […]

May 7, 2024

Although injuries are on the rise, the DOB said fewer incident investigations required enforcement measures due to unsafe or illegal conditions by employers in 2023. When all safeguards are in place, those injuries are deemed to be an error on […]

April 29, 2024

Today’s technology can greatly enhance risk management capabilities, enabling construction firms to navigate uncertainties with greater confidence. By leveraging advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, companies can proactively identify, assess and mitigate risks, increasing the likelihood of project […]

April 14, 2024

Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change and is causing increased damage to U.S. transportation systems and supply chains, which were primarily designed before climate impacts were taken into consideration. “From wildfires shutting down freight […]

March 28, 2024

Phoenix city officials have passed a new ordinance aimed at protecting workers for city contractors from the dangers of extreme heat. The move comes after a summer in which the city experienced a record-breaking 31 straight days with temperatures over […]

March 20, 2024

In December, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it was replacing traditional hardhats for its employees with ANSI-Z89.1-certified Type II safety helmets when they work on sites. But some contractors had been requiring the more […]

March 5, 2024

Global construction and engineering giant Bechtel has pledged $7 million over five years to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in order to increase efforts to combat suicide in the industry. The donation is the largest the AFSP has ever […]

February 9, 2024

Work in the construction industry often involves taking considerable, albeit often necessary, risks. For example, live wires present obvious electrocution hazards, and who can forget the images of rows of men in hard hats casually eating lunch while perched on […]

December 18, 2023

Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration are switching out their traditional hardhats for more ANSI type II-certified safety helmets. The agency recommends people working in construction consider making a similar move, but has not […]

November 15, 2023

A proposed rule from the U.S. Dept. of Labor to broaden its regulation about employee representation on workplace safety inspections has drawn widespread opposition from contractors. The change would allow workers to select a representative employed by a third party. […]

November 1, 2023

The ordinance gives ISD the enforcement capacity to now issue violations, stop work, revoke permits and impose fines up to $300 on permit holders, developers, general contractors, construction managers and subcontractors found to be in non-compliance with the ordinance. Along […]

October 25, 2023

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday announced its most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2023. Eric Harbin, OSHA Region 6 administrator, presented the preliminary data for “OSHA’s Top 10” during the 2023 NSC Safety Congress […]

September 5, 2023

The General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Federal OSHA) requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that may cause serious injury or death. This clause is often used by OSHA to enforce fall […]

August 31, 2023

DOL’s announcement has been months in the making. During a June 2021 congressional hearing, former Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh told lawmakers the department was reviewing its overtime regulations, and the agency later confirmed a review shortly afterward. The agency […]

August 31, 2023

While ABC said it will review the proposed rule and assess options for a legal challenge, unions came out in its favor. “NABTU supports DOL and OSHA ensuring construction workers have safe workplaces including ensuring that our union representatives, who […]