By Brent I. ClarkJames L. Curtis, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has just released several fact sheets applicable to industries regulated under the Crystalline Silica Standards in Construction Rule.

OSHA has recently released several silica dust fact sheets, including Controlling Silica Dust in Construction – Crushing Machines
Continue Reading OSHA Publishes Crystalline Silica Standards Rule Fact Sheets for Construction

By Ilana R. Morady, James L. Curtis, and Meagan Newman

IM imageMost employers in the construction industry already know that OSHA issued a new confined space standard for construction that became effective on August 3, 2015.

Companies with employees who enter confined spaces at construction sites must be sure to understand the new regulation and adjust their processes in
Continue Reading Are You in Compliance with OSHA’s New Confined Space Standard for the Construction Industry?

By Mark A. Lies, II, James L. Curtis, and Craig B. Simonsen

Three engineersLast week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced and issued a 161 page final rule to increase protections for construction workers in confined spaces. 80 Fed. Reg. 25366 (May 4, 2015), which is effective on August 3, 2015.

Confined spaces can be loosely defined
Continue Reading OSHA Final Rule for Confined Spaces in the Construction Industry

By James L. Curtis and Craig B. Simonsen

iStock_000060649768MediumOn International Workers’ Memorial Day, U.S. Senator Al Franken, the top Democratic Senator on the Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee, introduced legislation to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

The legislation would expand OSHA’s coverage to include public employees. The bill would also significantly increase penalties for OSHA citations, raising
Continue Reading Senator Al Franken Introduces Protecting America’s Workers Act

By James L. Curtis, Mark A. Lies, II, and Craig B. Simonsen

In an announcement last week, OSHA noted that falls from elevation, accounting for 269 of the 775 construction fatalities recorded in 2012, continues to be a leading cause of death for construction workers.

Dr. David Michaels, The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health
Continue Reading Falls in Construction: OSHA Announces “National Safety Stand-Down”

By James L. Curtis and Craig B. Simonsen

In what appears to be part of OSHA’s ongoing campaign to prevent fall accidents and injuries, OSHA’s Region V announced earlier this year a Local Emphasis Program to address Fall Hazards in General Industry and Construction.

The Emphasis Programs provides the “basis for scheduling and conducting safety inspections of construction and
Continue Reading OSHA Emphasis Program For Fall Hazards in Construction and General Industry

By James L. Curtis and Craig B. Simonsen

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration released its 2014 Budget Justification this week, indicating implementation of its new “weighted inspection system” to target the most serious hazards such as those found in refineries, trenching, shipbreaking, falls, chemical plants and industries that use crystalline silica, lead, and hexavalent chromium.

The Agency plans
Continue Reading OSHA 2014 Budget Justification Will Implement Its New “Weighted Inspection System”

By James L. Curtis and Craig B. Simonsen

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its preliminary “Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.”  The findings show an increase of twenty-three percent in the oil and gas extraction industries, a fourteen percent increase in the mining sector, and a five percent increase in the construction industry.

The BLS Report
Continue Reading Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Shows Oil and Gas, Construction, and Mining Industries Rates Climbing

By James L. Curtis, Jeryl L. Olson, and Craig B. Simonsen

Is respirable silica the “new” asbestos-like hazard for workplace exposure? OSHA and Canada appear to think so.

OSHA, along with its sister agency, NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), have recently posted a “hazard alert” for Worker Exposure to Silica during Hydraulic Fracturing.  In

Continue Reading Silica – The New Asbestos? OSHA Fracking Hazard Alert and British Columbia Proposed Construction Hazards Rule

By Jeryl L. Olson, Philip L. Comella, and Craig B. Simonsen

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed that construction companies use best management practices in lieu of measuring numeric turbidity limits to address stormwater runoff and to prevent erosion at construction sites. The significance of this proposed change is that it replaces testing requirements with management practices.

In
Continue Reading EPA Proposes Stormwater Runoff Rule for Construction Sites