A brand-new 2016 Ram Tradesman Crew Cab truck was presented to ABC Craft Professional of the Year Scott Walters at an event in Grand Rapids, Mich. Scott, a carpentry superintendent at Dan Vos Construction Co., was awarded the truck courtesy of the award sponsor, Tradesmen International, with custom upgrades donated by FCA US. 

Construction jobsites in Washington, D.C., stopped work at midday on Thursday, May 5 so that workers could attend a special Safety Week event, the Ballpark Grand Slam for Safety at Nationals Park. Workers made their way to the stadium for safety and equipment demonstrations and exhibits, a Stretch and Flex exercise, subcontractor safety awards, remarks by OSHA's Acting Director, of the Directorate of Construction and lunch. The event was sponsored by ABC -a Safety Week partner, major general contractors, insurers and Associated General Contractors 

ABC today released the following statement in reaction to the release of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) final rule on Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, commonly referred to as “electronic recordkeeping.”

An amendment which would exempt the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) from the controversial “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” Executive Order 13673, proposed rule and guidance, commonly referred to as “blacklisting,” passed the House Armed Services Committee on April 28.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released three new fact sheets that are free to download from OSHA's Publications webpage. A ladder jack scaffolds fact sheet* illustrates how to prevent injuries from falls when using work platforms supported by portable ladders. A confined spaces fact sheet* emphasizes the OSHA requirement for employers to develop and implement procedures for summoning rescue or emergency services in permit-required confined spaces. Lastly, a fact sheet on longshoring in marine terminals* describes how to prevent semi-tractor driver injuries during container lifting operations. 

On April 28, ABC submitted a letter to the chairmen of the congressional Task Force on Health Care Reform urging them to take action on common-sense health care solutions.  In the letter, ABC expressed its strong support for the task force’s mission to “modernize American health care with a patient-centered system that gives patients more choice and control, increases quality, and reduces costs.”

A new SmartMarket Report from Dodge Data & Analytics takes a close look at 33 indicators of a safety culture in the construction industry, including measures of management commitment to safety and health, worker involvement in jobsite safety, company communications on safety and the degree to which safety is treated as a fundamental company value. The study found nearly equal numbers of companies showing high, moderate and low levels of engagement with these indicators, though large companies are more likely to be further along the safety culture spectrum than smaller companies. 

ABC reiterated its opposition to the Department of Labor’s (DOL) “persuader rule” ahead of the April 27 U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing on how the newly finalized regulation limits employers’ rights and undermines the right of workers to make informed decisions in union elections. The final rule, issued March 23, redefines “persuader” activity under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) and triggers expanded reporting requirements for employers and their attorneys. 

The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship continued its oversight of the controversial “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) regulation April 27, holding a hearing on how small businesses were left out of the rulemaking process as required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). At the hearing, members of the committee heard from stakeholders, who expressed concern about the onslaught of new regulations from the Obama administration and the detrimental impact they have on small businesses.

The U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee held a hearing on April 14 entitled Regulation Nation: The Hidden Small Business Tax , which examined the cost of new federal regulations to entrepreneurs in the small business community. During the hearing, members of the Committee heard from several small business owners who cited high compliance costs and expensive new mandates as a major impediment to expanding their businesses.