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OSHA’s proposed amendments to its Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Qualification standard (May 21, 2018, Federal Register (FR)) contains what some employers seem to be interpreting as two contradictory positions. The proposal adds a requirement that employers must conduct evaluations to ensure that the equipment operator possesses “the skills, knowledge, and judgment necessary to […]
Whether to test or not to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)—that was the question (among others) raised in the panel discussion “Managing PCBs in Buildings: Renovations, Transactions, Demolition, and More” at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) Energy & Environment Conference on May 18, 2018, in Farmington, Connecticut.
Three years ago this month, OSHA issued a new standard for construction work in confined spaces; the standard became effective August 3, 2015. The rule was similar in many respects to the general industry confined spaces standard while also incorporating construction-specific hazards. One issue employers regularly confront under the construction standard is the difference between […]
OSHA has issued a proposed rule addressing crane operator certification in construction. Published May 21 in the Federal Register, the rule would permanently extend and clarify employers’ duties to ensure that crane operators are competent to operate equipment through training, certification or licensing, and evaluation.
Excavating and trenching are some of the most hazardous operations in construction, and OSHA is keeping an eye on employers. Today we’re taking look at some recent enforcement actions surrounding trench collapse hazards along with a guidance document from OSHA.
When it comes to dangerous jobs, working on a construction site is always going to be near the top of the list. The number of things that can go wrong on a construction site is nearly endless, and many of these issues can result in serious harm and even death.
While falls from roofs are a major hazard in the general construction industry, hazards posed by hot work during built-up roofing are also significant. With warm weather approaching in much of the country, roofing work will pick up, and this is a good time for roofing employers to review their practices to protect roofers. Several […]
OSHA periodically reenergizes its Focus Four Hazards campaign—an initiative intended to raise awareness about the four leading hazards in the construction industry, described by OSHA as falls, caught in or between, struck by, and electrocution.
OSHA regulations are a “massive challenge” to small businesses in the homebuilding industry. Accordingly, OSHA should shift its emphasis from a “disproportionate” reliance on traditional enforcement and levying significant monetary penalties to compliance assistance.
Slip-and-fall accidents are one of the leading causes of injury in the construction workplace. While the most catastrophic of these occur when working from heights, many injuries also happen at the ground level. Many accidents occur when walking across uneven ground that is too soft, too hard, wet, or muddy.