US Department of Labor highlights safe construction practices during 2026 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls

-
US Department of Labor highlights safe construction practices during 2026 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is encouraging construction employers and workers nationwide to participate in the 13th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, taking place May 4-8, 2026.The nationwide event focuses on preventing falls, the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry, and reinforces the importance of planning, training, and hazard awareness to protect workers.Because falls continue to pose a significant risk in construction, OSHA is making prevention a top priority. Through efforts like the Safety Stand-Down, the agency is working to drive real change and emphasizing that lasting progress is achieved through employers, workers, and industry partners working together.OSHA encourages employers to pause work throughout the week and engage employees ...
Post a Comment

Proper planning, safeguards could have prevented New Bedford dock collapse, US Department of Labor inspection finds

-
Proper planning, safeguards could have prevented New Bedford dock collapse, US Department of Labor inspection finds
BRAINTREE, MA – A Connecticut marine and heavy construction contractor could have prevented the October 2023 collapse of a 200-foot section of pier on Hervey Tichon Avenue in New Bedford — which plunged five workers into the Acushnet River and injured two of them — by adhering to legally required safety standards, a U.S. Department of Labor inspection has determined. Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors found that Mohawk Northeast Inc. of Plantsville did not determine if the pier’s walking and working surfaces had the strength and structural integrity to support employees safely with the weight of materials and equipment on it. OSHA issued the company a willful citation and assessed $161,323 in proposed penalties.The agency also proposed an additional $53,004 in penalties for four serious violations related to potential fall, drowning and struck-by hazards posed by the employer’s failure to do the following:Provide fall protection for employees working on the pier.Anchor or secure a crawler crane to the barge effectively to prevent its shifting. Provide life jackets for employees working on the pier and an adjacent barge.Protect or mark the crane’s swing radius to prevent it from striking employees.“Mohawk Northeast Inc. had a responsibility to determine if the pier was structurally sound and ensure other required safeguards before placing its employees and equipment on the pier, but it chose not to do so. Proper planning and preparation could have prevented the pier’s collapse. While fortunate that no fatalities occurred, the company still exposed employees needlessly to potentially fatal and disabling injuries,” said OSHA Area Director James Mulligan in Braintree, Massachusetts.The proposed penalties total $214,327. View the citations OSHA issued to Mohawk Northeast Inc.Mohawk Northeast Inc. is a construction contractor specializing in heavy and marine construction, as well as tugboat transportation. It has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Published at April 11, 2024 at 05:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Settlement affirms willful OSHA violations, $215K penalties, against contractors for fall hazards at multiple New Jersey work sites

-
Settlement affirms willful OSHA violations, $215K penalties, against contractors for fall hazards at multiple New Jersey work sites HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ – Two related North Jersey construction contractor companies – Primetime Construction LLC and its subsidiary Primetime Contractors LLC of Paterson – have agreed to pay $215,000 in penalties and undertake several significant safety measures to resolve numerous safety violations found at five Paterson construction worksites in 2021, as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration initially cited Primetime Contractors LLC for four willful violations that occurred in September 2021 after agency inspectors found the employer exposing workers to fall hazards by repeatedly failing to ensure construction site stairways at company worksites had handrails and stair rails, even after being counseled by OSHA about the relevant safety requirements. Primetime Contrac...
Read more

St. Louis contractor faces $258K in fines after exposing roofing workers to potentially deadly fall hazards 5 times in 7 weeks at Wentzville worksites

-
St. Louis contractor faces $258K in fines after exposing roofing workers to potentially deadly fall hazards 5 times in 7 weeks at Wentzville worksites ST. LOUIS – Federal workplace safety inspectors have cited a Missouri roofing contractor for 21 violations for illegally exposing roof workers — five times in seven weeks — at six Wentzville residential worksites to the dangers of fall hazards, the construction industry’s leading cause of serious injuries and death. The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened its investigations after observing 13 Construction & Pro Services LLC allowing its employees to work on roofs without required protection equipment at separate sites on Oct. 31, Nov. 2 and Dec. 14, 2023.Specifically, OSHA alleges the company allowed employees to work without protection at heights greater than six feet, did not have a competent person inspect and evaluate job site hazards daily and failed to train workers to recognize ...
Read more

US Department of Labor awards $86M to 14 states for investment in skills training programs for critical in-demand, emerging industries

-
US Department of Labor awards $86M to 14 states for investment in skills training programs for critical in-demand, emerging industries WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of more than $86 million in Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grants to 14 states to accelerate innovation, strengthen domestic production, and address critical workforce needs across the country, with more than $20 million of the funding supporting the revitalization of the domestic shipbuilding industry, training workers in welding, marine electrical, manufacturing, and other skilled trades.Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, these grants will provide outcome-based reimbursements to employers for providing training in high-demand and emerging industries that align with President Trump’s Executive Order 14278, Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future, and Executive Order 14629, Restoring America’s Mariti...
Read more