Construction Safety Articles

If a team member is injured, incapacitated or trapped in a confined space, these steps will help you prepare for and lead a rescue in a timely manner.

ASSE pledges to work with its extensive network of members and stakeholders to help address fatal occupational injuries that increased for the third straight year according to newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 5,190 workplace fatalities in 2016, up 7 percent from 2015.

OSHA has issued a series of revised fact sheets to help employers comply with OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standards for construction.

Workplace fatalities were the highest since 2008, says the annual BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injury report, which was released last month.

In a letter of interpretation OSHA indicates that fall protection trainers who are compliant with ANSI/ASSP Z359 (fall protection/arrest) and ANSI/ASSP Z490 (OSH training) will meet the definition of qualified in the agency's Walking and Working Surfaces rule.

Additional scientific research and a broad sharing of existing data are needed by OSH practitioners across the country to better protect workers in every industry. That’s why ASSE brought together dozens of industry leaders and safety experts for a research workshop at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare that aimed to create a new wave of progress.

Jim Smith, president of the American Society of Safety Engineers, made a statement regarding the nomination of Scott Mugno as head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

According to OSHA, more than 500,000 workers are employed in laboratories in the U.S.Many occupational incidents that occur in laboratories can be avoided or minimized with proper preventive measures. Workrite Uniform Co. offers a top 5 list of laboratory hazards and how to prevent these hazards from causing injuries and illnesses.

On May 3, 2017, a coalition of construction industry associations formally petitioned OSHA to begin a limited reopening of the agency’s March 25, 2016, final rule setting requirements for reduction of respirable crystalline silica in general industry, construction and maritime workplaces. Reopening the silica rulemaking does not make sense at this juncture. The standard’s validity is pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals, and a ruling is expected soon.

Although the Respirable Crystalline Silica construction standard (29 CFR 1926.1153), becomes enforceable on Sept. 23, 2017, compliance officers are, for the first 30 days of enforcement, to evaluate good-faith efforts taken by employers in their attempts to meet the new construction silica standard.