AGC’s premier meeting for safety and health professionals will take place July 11-13, 2012, in Washington, D.C.  Join more than 150 industry professionals and participate in the development of regulatory and legislative activity on both a national and local level, assist in the development and creation of new safety training programs and products, and hear the latest initiatives from OSHA and other industry experts.

Falls are the most fatal hazard in the construction industry, accounting for almost one in every three construction worker deaths in this country. In 2010, more than 10,000 construction workers were injured as a result of falling while working from heights, and another 255 workers were killed. Earlier this year AGC of America launched a new fall protection safety training program. The association is using a $130,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to address fall hazards in the construction industry. The safety program provides comprehensive information about fall protection for both commercial and residential construction.  AGC is offering the safety training program in eight different sites during 2012 and expects to instruct more than 500 construction workers during the year.

Sixty-eight percent of the nation’s highway contractors had motor vehicles crash into their construction work zones during the past year, according to the results of a new highway work zone study conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America.  Association officials added that the study found those work zone crashes are more likely to kill construction workers than they are to kill vehicle operators or passengers.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is reopening the rulemaking record to extend the comment period on revising the record keeping and reporting requirements for work-related injuries and illnesses. OSHA is extending the comment period in response to a stakeholder request. Individuals interested in submitting comments must do so by Oct. 28, 2011.

The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration released a new edition of its Whistleblower Investigations Manual, one of a series of measures to improve OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program that were announced in August.

AGC will launch a new fall protection safety training program next year thanks to a new federal safety grant the association is being awarded. The association will use the $130,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to tackle one of the most pressing safety issues in construction, officials said.

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a directive on Enforcement Procedures for Investigating or Inspecting Incidents of Workplace Violence. The directive establishes uniform procedures for OSHA field staff for responding to incidents and complaints of workplace violence and conducting inspections in industries considered vulnerable to workplace violence, such as healthcare and social service settings, and late-night retail establishments.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a hazard alert, warning workers and employers of the dangers of using certain Eaton/Cutler-Hammer molded-case circuit breakers that were incorrectly rebuilt. The third-party rebuilder may have altered the circuit breakers – identified by model numbers E²K and E²KM – by using incorrect parts that can cause the breakers to malfunction.The breakers were originally manufactured by Eaton/Cutler-Hammer as part of its E² mining series breakers. At this time, the number of incorrectly rebuilt E²K and E²KM breakers or their locations are not known. The circuit breakers may appear to be new or properly rebuilt, but the third party rebuilder changed them from the manufacturer's original design.OSHA developed this alert based on a similar notice recently issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration*. The alert warns that the rebuilt circuit breakers have incorrect voltage ratings on the covers. Because the covers do not meet manufacturer's specifications, they may lack proper safety features such as grounding and fault protection to prevent electrical shock, burns and fires. Since the potential for worker injury from breaker failure exists, employers must remove this equipment from service.Instructions for what employers should do if their worksites are using E²K and E²KM breakers are listed in the alert. Employers should have a qualified person shut off power to the breakers, follow proper lockout/tagout procedures, and remove any defective breaker from service and replace it with one that a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) has properly certified.Although the E²K and E²KM circuit breakers are intended for use in mining operations, OSHA recognizes that employers performing tunneling operations may purchase the same breakers. OSHA requires workplaces to use circuit breakers certified by an OSHA-approved NRTL. Employers that find one of the defective breakers should notify OSHA at 202-693-2300. Workers and employers also may contact the local OSHA office with questions about circuit breakers used in their worksites. Employers of small and medium businesses can receive free, confidential help to determine if there are hazards in their workplaces by contacting OSHA's On-site Consultation Program on the Web site or calling 800-321-6742.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 http://www.osha.gov.For questions and comments, please contact Kevin Cannon, Director, Safety & Health Services at cannonk@agc.org.

The number of construction fatalities declined by nearly 10 percent between 2009 and 2010 and by almost 40 percent during the past five years, according to an analysis of new federal data prepared by AGC. 

The U.S. Department of Labor announced enhancements to its online enforcement database designed to improve public access to and understanding of the department's enforcement actions. The updated website includes a number of new features, including map displays of inspection and violation data from the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and its Mine Safety and Health Administration, as well as the ability to view individual inspection records and the enforcement history of a particular company or mine.