New email sign-up available for recordkeeping reminders and updates on electronic submission of injury logs

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OSHA has established an email notification system to provide recordkeeping reminders as well as updates on a new requirement that employers electronically submit their injury and illness logs to the agency. This year’s deadline is July 1, 2017. OSHA is not accepting electronic submissions at this time, but will notify interested parties when and how to provide electronic submissions. To receive these notifications, sign up online....

OSHA to delay enforcing crystalline silica standard in the construction industry

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OSHA to delay enforcing crystalline silica standard in the construction industry United States Department of Labor sent this bulletin at 04/06/2017 04:05 PM EDT News Release from OSHA Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. News Release U.S. Department of Labor  |  April 6, 2017 OSHA to delay enforcing crystalline silica standard in the construction industry WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced a delay in enforcement of the crystalline silica standard that applies to the construction industry to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers. The agency has determined that additional guidance is necessary due to the unique nature of the requirements in the construction standard. Originally scheduled to begin June 23, 2017, enforcement will now begin Sept. 23, 2017. OSHA expects employers in the construction industry to continue to take steps either to come into compliance with the new permissible exposure limit, or to implement specific dust controls for certain operations as provided in Table 1 of the standard. Construction employers should also continue to prepare to implement the standard’s other requirements, including exposure assessment, medical surveillance and employee training. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. # # # Media Contacts: Amy Louviere, 202-693-9423, louviere.amy@dol.govAmanda Kraft, 202-693-4664, kraft.amanda.c@dol.gov Release Number:  17-415-NAT U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible...

Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Silica Construction Standard

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The guide is intended to help small businesses understand and comply with OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standard for construction. Workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica are at increased risk of developing serious adverse health effects including silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease. The guide describes the steps that employers are required to take to protect construction employees from the hazards associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica.  The guide is divided into sections that correspond to the standard’s major provisions. Each section describes the provision and gives additional details to help employers better understand and comply with the standard. OSHA will soon be releasing a separate small entity compliance guide for the general industry and maritime silica standard. There are currently no plans to produce print versions of these publications. For more information, see OSHA Silica Rule Web page.    ...

OSHA Final Rule to Protect Workers from Exposure to Respirable Silica

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule to curb lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease in America’s workers by limiting their exposure to respirable crystalline silica. The rule is comprised of two standards, one for Construction and one for General Industry and Maritime.

OSHA Issues Final Rule for Confined Spaces in Construction

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OSHA is adding a new subpart to provide protections to employees working in confined spaces in construction. This new subpart replaces OSHA’s one training requirement for confined space work with a comprehensive standard that includes a permit program designed to protect employees from exposure to many hazards associated with work in confined spaces, including atmospheric and physical hazards. The final rule is similar in content and organization >>>>> Read more...

Stopping Falls, Saving Lives

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2015 National Safety Stand-Down to Reach Workers Worldwide Over the last 10 years, more than 3,500 workers have died from falls. In fact, falls remain the leading cause of death in construction, accounting for more than a third of deaths in the industry. If you’re involved in construction or any other high-risk industry, you may be familiar with these numbers. But what you might not know is that there’s a growing safety movement that focuses on saving the lives of workers through fall prevention education. Last year marked the first National Safety Stand-Down for fall prevention in construction, a combined effort from OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training. During the stand-down, employers and workers paused their workday to focus on preventing falls through talks, demonstrations and trainings. The Mid-Atlantic Construction Safety Council (MACSC) with the support of the Philadelphia Building Trades was a major contributor to this National effort.  The MACSC Conducting over 250 events with more than 800 Construction Managers, General Contractors and subcontractors participating in the Safety Month. OSHA’s Region III was thrilled to have been active participants in 13 of these events which ultimately reached more than 7,000 employees. Due to the success of the 2014 program, this year’s Stand-Down has been extended to two weeks. Our goal is to have over 3 million workers participate in over 20,000 stand-downs from May 4 to 15, 2015.  OSHA’s Region III is once again thrilled to be partnering with the MACSC in the 2015 National Stand-Down.  To learn how to partner with OSHA during the...

Mid-Atlantic Construction Safety Council Fall Protection Inspection Stand Down

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On November 1, 2013, 10 of the construction managers who participate in the MACSC decided to make January 2014 a Fall Protection Equipment Inspection month-long stand down. All personal fall arrest system equipment including body harnesses, lanyards, beam straps, retractable lanyards, and associated devices would be inspected and equipment that did not pass inspection would be removed from use. To support this effort, the construction managers asked fall protection manufacturers to provide training and develop checklists prior to conducting the equipment inspections so that the process would be uniform among all the sites. Some of the areas covered in the training included looking for defects or damage such as fraying, unsplicing, kinking, knotting, broken or pulled stiches, excessive soiling, abrasion, or excessive aging of equipment. Key points on maintenance and storage of equipment were stressed, as well as OSHA inspection requirements under CFR 1926.502. The training at the Mid-Atlantic Construction Safety Council was held in December 2013, and each participant received a training certificate. Each individual site and construction manager then selected the time and method that best suited them for the inspection in January 2014. All contractors, subcontractors, and other training participants were encouraged to pass on lessons learned from the training within their companies, and to use them to inspect their own equipment before the construction manager’s inspection in January. Further, each subcontractor was expected to have the safety director and/or competent person participate in the inspection of their own equipment. LF Driscoll Co., LLC, one of the companies participating in the stand down, is a great example of how the individual firms committed to and carried...