On January 11, the Department of Labor announced changes to the OSHA civil penalty amounts based on cost-of-living adjustments for 2024. In 2015, Congress passed legislation to increase civil monetary penalties as a deterrent to violating the agency’s safety and health standards and/or regulations. Under the legislation, agencies are required to publish “catch-up” rules that adjust the level of civil monetary penalties and make subsequent annual adjustments for inflation no later than January 15 of each year.
For over five decades, Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) has been at the forefront of promoting excellence in safety practices. Through rigorous certification processes, the organization has ensured that safety practitioners meet and maintain high standards in their technical competency. The impact of BCSP-certified professionals can be witnessed in the improved safety practices across various sectors, highlighting the organization's commitment to creating a safer work environment.
Construction Firms Have Mixed Outlook For 2024 As Expectations For Demand Remain Mostly Positive, But Less Upbeat Than Last Year Amid New Challenges
On December 19, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its annual report on occupational injuries for 2022. The report reveals 1,069 construction fatalities occurred in 2022, a 7.7% increase from 986 construction fatalities in 2021. The leading causes of construction industry fatalities remains what OSHA considers to be the “construction focus four hazards” which are falls (38%), struck by object or equipment (8%), electrocutions (6%), struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material (5%).
The Alliance for Naloxone Safety in the Workplace (ANSW) provides tools your organization can use to address opioid overdoses in the workplace. Created and led by industry professionals, the ANSW provides employers with the latest information and training resources to successfully implement a Naloxone program at their businesses.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) final rule that expands the current recordkeeping requirements went into effect on January 1, 2024, and mandates the submission of Form 300-Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and Form 301-Injury and Illness Incident Report in addition to Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses data from construction establishments with 100 or more employees. Establishments with 20 to 99 employees continue to be required to submit only Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses data. AGC communicated our concerns with the rule to OSHA during the rulemaking process.
On Dec. 22, AGC again pushed back on the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) effort to establish a one-sized-fits-all national standard for heat injury and illness prevention in outdoor and indoor settings.
On July 17, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a final rule that expands the current recordkeeping requirements, and goes into effect on January 1, 2024, to mandate the submission of Form 300-Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and Form 301-Injury and Illness Incident Report in addition to Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses data from construction establishments with 100 or more employees. Establishments with 20 to 99 employees continue to be required to submit only Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses data. AGC communicated our concerns with the rule to OSHA during the rulemaking process.
On September 20, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a notice for proposed rulemaking addressing a variety of work zone safety issues near highways. Many of the proposed changes aim to modernize standards that had last been updated in the early 2000s, but substantial changes were proposed for topics such as measuring safety standards, reviews of state DOT’s safety programs, and the use cases for positive protection devices.
On November 9, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced that the newly updated EM 385-1-1 has been finalized. The manual details safety and health requirements for all USACE construction activities and operations, including Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) construction contracts.