The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the US Department of Labor, has issued a citation to an Illinois contractor over findings it made willful and serious safety violations that exposed workers to significant fall risks. According to a news release by the agency, the contractor, KW Framing in Justice, Illinois, faces proposed penalties […]
Construction Accidents
OSHA Cites Roofing Contractor over Fall Hazards—Again
The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently cited an Ohio-based contractor “with a long history of disregarding workplace safety standards.” According to an OSHA news release, federal inspectors observed roofing workers employed by Charm Builders “at dangerous heights without fall protection” at a worksite in Wheeling, West Virginia. As the news […]
Study: 1/3 Workplace Injury Victims Lack Employer Health Coverage
Illuminating new research by insurance platform ValuePenguin found that one-third of workers who suffer workplace injuries do not have employer-based health insurance. The study, drawn from an analysis of employer coverage “in the industries with the highest rate of workplace injuries,” also found that the workers most likely to experience workplace injuries are “paid less […]
Report: Is OSHA Doing Enough to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat?
A new report by Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, argues that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is failing to protect workers from the dangers of unsafe heat. Arguing that the escalating effects of climate change pose an increasingly perilous situation for workers, the report calls for “immediate action.”
Will New York Governor Hochul Sign Construction Safety Law?
New York construction sites are about to get much safer—if Governor Kathy Hochul signs a bill passed by the state legislature last month. Known as “Carlos’ Law,” Senate Bill S621Bwould “substantially” raise the fines that can be levied on companies convicted of crimes that led to workplace deaths or injuries. According to a recent report […]
Survey: Construction Zone Car Crashes on the Rise
A new survey by HCSS Software Solutions and Associated General Contractors found that vehicle crashes continue to pose a threat to highway construction workers, as work zones likewise pose a threat to vehicle drivers and passengers. The survey found specifically that a whopping 64% of highway contractors “report that motor vehicles had crashed into their […]
Unpacking the Eight Largest OSHA Fines So Far This Year
A recent report by Construction Dive unpacks the biggest fines issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration during the first quarter of 2022. The contractors who received these fines include DME Construction Associates, Boss Construction, Lanigan Construction, and Groundworks Colorado. The smallest of the eight largest OSHA fines identified by the report was a fine of […]
New Report Examines Construction Industry Injury Trends
“Construction is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States,” begins a new report by The Center for Construction Research and Training. Titled “Fatal and Nonfatal Injuries in the Construction Industry,” the report offers “updated information” on those injuries, based on data gathered from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal […]
Construction Industry Leaders Discuss Fall Prevention
Data provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the US Department of Labor, shows that out of 1,008 construction worker fatalities in 2020, 351 resulted from fatal falls to a lower level, making falls the leading cause of construction worker fatalities. However, OSHA stresses, “These deaths are preventable.” In a recent webinar described […]
Report: Construction Industry Execs Mental Health, Suicide Risk
In an illuminating roundtable published last week, construction industry trade magazine Construction Dive asked an array of industry experts what the industry can do protect and improve its workers’ mental health. As the report noted, construction’s suicide rate is four times that of the general population, suggesting that there is much work to be done to take […]
Report: NYC Construction Incidents Fall, Deaths Rise
The New York City Department of Buildings released its second annual Construction Safety report last week. Among other things, the DOB revealed that building construction-related incidents fell for the third year in a row in 2021; at the same time, construction-related injuries and fatalities slightly increased. As the report explains, building construction-related incidents fell 10% in 2021 […]
Study: Construction Workers May Bring Toxic Metals Home From Worksites
A pilot study published in a forthcoming issue of Environmental Research found that construction workers may “unintentionally pick up” toxic chemicals at their worksites and carry them to their homes. As an analysis by Construction Dive explains, the chemicals in question include not only lead, but also “arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, nickel and tin,” which were found in construction workers’ […]
Report: Construction Worksite Fatalities Increased in 2020
A new report by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health concludes that construction worksite deaths rose during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 41 workers lost their lives in job site incidents in 2020, the NYCOSH found, 13 of whom died in New York City sites. According to the Gotham Gazette, […]
Construction Industry Suffers Omicron-Related Labor Shortages
The US construction industry is suffering drastic worker shortages resulting from the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, according to a recent report by Construction Dive. Citing data analyzed by the Washington Post, roughly 8.8 million construction workers “reported missing work either because they were sick with the coronavirus or caring for someone else who was […]
NYC Passes Construction Safety Superintendent Bill
The New York City Council has passed legislation that would “overhaul” construction safety in the city, according to a press release by the legislative body. The bill, Int 2276-2021, requires construction sites to assign a “designated full-time construction superintendent who would be responsible for safety and code compliance, along with overall management of the construction project.” This role would […]
OSHA Developing Heat Standard for Construction Sites
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will develop “a federal standard” to prevent health issues stemming from extreme heat on construction sites, according to a report by Construction Dive. In a press release, the agency announced it would initiate a rulemaking process that will include a comment period from various stakeholders as it works to establish new standards. […]
NYC Issues Almost 1,500 Stop Work Orders in Construction Safety Sweep
A New York City Department of Buildings safety sweep this month resulted in 3,600 violations and 1,499 stop work orders issued to construction contractors. According to a report by Construction Dive, the sweeps were launched because of a spate of construction site fatalities in the city, with seven workers dying in the first five months of 2021—two […]
NYC Construction Deaths Yield No-Tolerance Sweeps
New York City building inspectors are implementing “zero-tolerance sweeps” in the city’s job sites, according to a recent report by Construction Dive. The sweeps are in response to “three worker deaths in recent weeks, two of which were the result of falls,” according to the report, and have resulted in 322 sites shut down due to hazardous conditions. The […]
High Rates of Covid-19 in Construction Industry, Study Suggests
A new analysis by Construction Dive details research showing “that construction workers had the highest positivity rates for asymptomatic cases of any occupation, including healthcare staff, first responders, correctional personnel, elderly care workers, grocery store workers and food service employees.” The research was completed by Curative, a “testing firm”, in Los Angeles from August to October, according to the […]
AFL-CIO Report Examines Sorry State of Workplace Safety
The labor union AFL-CIO recently released its 29th annual “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect” report. Among other things, the study examines state and national trends in workplace deaths, injuries, and illnesses; safety inspections; penalties and other sanctions issued against workplaces under the Occupational Health and Safety Act; and staffing issues. It also includes information […]
How Is The Construction Industry Handling Covid-19?
A new analysis by Construction Dive asks whether the construction industry has fought the spread of Covid-19 as well as conventional wisdom would suggest. As the article notes, a potpourri of academic research, public health data, and media reports indicate that the industry has not fared so well. There have been concerning outbreaks across the country, with construction workplaces […]
OSHA Releases Covid-19 Citation Data
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently released a list of its most common Covid-19 citations in construction and other industries, in order “to help employers understand which OSHA standards have been cited most frequently during COVID-19 related inspections.” The document was based on data OSHA maintains regarding its citations and inspections, which it states it initiated after complaints, […]
Covid-19 Outbreaks in the Construction Industry
Last week Construction Dive, a publication focused on the construction industry, rounded up a number of construction sites across the country that have experienced Covid-19 outbreaks since the pandemic began. As Construction Dive notes, there is no national body tracking outbreaks by industry, but local news sources have kept an eye on their communities, including construction workplaces. In April, according […]
Construction Workers At Higher Risk of COVID-19, Study Finds
A new study published online in JAMA Network Open finds that construction workers may be at high risk of Covid-19 infection. Conducted by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the Santa Fe Institute, the study asked whether construction work is associated with increased community transmission of Covid-19 as well as disproportionate fatalities in US construction workers. […]
Work Zone Fatalities Up During Pandemic
Even as overall traffic levels fell over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of crashes and fatalities at work zones has risen, according to a recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Workers patching potholes, striping roads, directing traffic or building highways are more at risk than ever,” it states, “as drivers zoom through work zones or are […]
