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

Tamuning contractor faces $1M in penalties after federal inspectors find employees again exposed to potentially fatal trench hazards

-
Tamuning contractor faces $1M in penalties after federal inspectors find employees again exposed to potentially fatal trench hazards
TIYAN, GUAM ‒ A contractor with a history of failing to protect employees working in trenches from potentially deadly harm faces penalties of more than $1 million after federal investigators found employees working in trenches deeper than 5 feet without required safety equipment. Trench collapses are among the construction industry’s most serious dangers. Excavations can collapse in seconds and lead to serious and often fatal injuries as workers are buried under cubic yards of soil, each weighing as much as 3,000 lbs. In 2022, trench collapses killed at least 39 U.S. construction workers. Despite these dangers, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration discovered employees of Giant Construction Corp., a Tamuning contractor, installing sewer lines in multiple trenches at a worksite in the Palisades Subdivision Project in Tiyan.“Giant Construction Corp. has shown a flagrant disregard for the safety of its employees and put workers at risk of serious and potentially fatal injuries,” said OSHA Area Office Director Roger Forstner in Honolulu. “The company’s owner admits they understand the dangers but still chooses to put profit before people. The significant penalties assessed after this inspection send a clear signal to Giant Construction Corp. and other employers that OSHA will not tolerate such callous attitudes when employees are endangered.”OSHA cited Giant Construction Corp. for nine willful violations for its multiple failures to protect employees working in trenches. The agency also cited the company for two serious violations for not providing adequate means to exit trenches.Since 2014, Giant Construction has been subject to five other OSHA inspections in which the agency cited the company for nine violations, including two serious violations and one repeat violation in October 2022. Among its past infractions are violations related to failures to protect employees from trench hazards.OSHA has a National Emphasis Program on trenching and excavations. Trenching standards require protective systems in trenches deeper than 5 feet. Additionally, trenches must be inspected by a knowledgeable person and there must be a safe means of egress from the trench prior to allowing a worker to enter.View the citations.Giant Construction Corp. is a general contractor specializing in residential and commercial construction.The company has 15 business days from receipt of the 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. Learn more about OSHA.

Published at April 23, 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