Full enforcement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new respirable crystalline silica rule in the construction industry began on October 23, 2017, according to the agency. The silica rule is one of the most comprehensive health standards ever issued for the construction industry and significantly reduces the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for crystalline silica.
Articles
OSHA Schedules Second Public Meeting on Voluntary Protection Programs
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in Articles
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has scheduled the second of two meetings to “reshape” the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) for August 28, 2017. The first meeting was held on July 17, 2017.
OSHA established the VPP on July 2, 1982, to promote cooperation between government, industry, and labor to improve worker safety, health, and…
Need OSHA Action on Ammonium Nitrate and Healthcare Workplace Violence, Government Monitor Urges
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in Articles
Focus is needed on two safety and health priorities: healthcare workplace violence and high-risk facilities that handle hazardous substances such as ammonium nitrate, chief of the Government Accountability Office Gene L. Dodaro has urged Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta in a letter. To read my full article, click here.
OSHA Releases New Online Whistleblower Complaint Form for Workers
By Joseph Dreesen on
Posted in Articles
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released a revised online whistleblower complaint form.
In an announcement, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt said, “Workers who report unsafe conditions and wrongdoing have a range of legal protections from retaliation. The revised online complaint form works to ensure…
OSHA Launches New Website for Electronically Filing Injury and Illness Reports
By Bradford T. Hammock on
Posted in Articles, OSHA Rulemaking
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new electronic portal, the Injury Tracking Application (ITA), where employers can file web-based reports of workplace injuries or illnesses, will be accessible beginning August 1, 2017.
Under OSHA’s electronic recordkeeping rule, covered companies with at least 250 employees must submit information electronically from:
- OSHA Form 300 (Log of
…
OSHA Exempts Monorail Hoists from Cranes and Derricks Regulations
By Raymond Perez, II on
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a new enforcement policy that excludes monorail hoists from regulations on cranes and derricks in constructions.
Stakeholders had argued that monorail hoists are not the same as cranes and derricks in construction, pointing out that these hoists are attached to fixed monorails mounted on trucks, trailers, scaffolding…
Construction Contractors Develop New Safety Helmets
By Tressi L. Cordaro on
Posted in Articles, Construction Industry
Construction firms are developing new safety helmets designed to provide workers with better protection from falls and to curb fatal injuries, according to a report from Bloomberg BNA.
According to government researchers, from 2003 to 2010, 2,210 fatal traumatic brain injuries (TBI) occurred in the construction industry, a rate of 2.6 per 100,000 full-time…
OSHA Fall Protection Rule Raises Questions Over ‘Temporary, Relatively Infrequent’ Work
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
New questions are emerging about key provisions the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s updated rule to prevent falls.
Effective January 17, 2017, the final rule updating OSHA’s general industry Walking-Working Surfaces standards permits certain work near the edge of low-slope roofs without fall protection systems, as long as the work is “temporary, relatively infrequent.” To…
OSHA Considers Extending Crane Certification Deadline
Posted on
The Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration met on June 20, 2017, to learn about and give recommendations on OSHA’s proposed rule to extend the enforcement date for crane operator certification requirements of the revised Crane Standard, 29 C.F.R. 1926 Subpart CC, issued in 2010. Click…
Beryllium Exposure Rule Going Through Changes, OSHA Admits
By Joseph Dreesen on
The rule to lower permissible workplace exposure to beryllium is undergoing changes in a White House review, Occupational Safety and Health Administration deputy director for standards and guidance Maureen Ruskin has told safety specialists, as reported by Bloomberg BNA. The final rule took effect on May 20, 2017, and employers must comply with most of…