In the construction industry, safety should be the number one priority on every jobsite and with the increased use of new technology such as BIM, the industry is finding ways to not only reduce onsite injuries, but to reduce the overall construction schedule at the same time. 

Every year, more than 80,000 workers suffer an injury on construction job sites across the U.S. One incident is one too many— life is too precious not to make safety the number one focus in the U.S. construction industry. With the common goal of building safety together, ABC is joining the Construction Industry Safety (CISI) initiative and the Incident and Injury Free CEO (IIF) Forum for the second annual Safety Week May 3-9. 

A new report released by the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) found that OSHA's proposed silica standards for construction will cost the industry $5 billion per year—roughly $4 .5 billion per year more than OSHA’s estimates. The coalition cautioned that the flawed cost estimates reflect deeper flaws in the rule and urged the federal agency to reconsider its approach.

Seventeen ABC member companies were honored as 2015 Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance (GBRIA) Contractor Safety Excellence Award recipients. Each year, the awards are presented to companies who have demonstrated a level of safety excellence that includes thousands and millions of hours worked without injury, a commitment by management to educate workers, and a culture where accidents do not happen.  The awards were presented on March 19 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

OSHA released an interpretation letter stating that construction contractors are allowed to require employees to pay a deposit for company-issued personal protection equipment (PPE) so that it provides an incentive for the employee to return the equipment. Contractors should be aware that this does not circumvent the requirement that employers provide protection equipment at no expense to the workers. 

OSHA issued a Letter of Interpretation Jan. 15 clarifying the new reporting standard for severe injuries on the jobsite which went into effect Jan. 1. The interpretation letter provides a definition of an amputation and also how to distinguish between an amputation and an avulsion. In addition, the letter goes on to discuss whether the loss of an eye includes the loss of sight. 

ABC is reminding its contractor member firms that 2014 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Form 300A work-related injury and illness log summaries must be posted in a visible spot on all construction sites Feb. 1 through April 30. 

The ABC Heart of American Chapter and OSHA formalized an alliance to protect the safety and health of Missouri and Kansas construction workers during a signing ceremony Jan. 15. 

Beginning Jan. 1, contractors will face new deadlines and requirements for reporting severe injuries on the jobsite. The rule will go into effect Jan. 1, 2015, for all employers covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act - even those who are exempt from maintaining injury and illness records.

OSHA’s latest semiannual regulatory agenda was released on Nov. 2. It lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release this year.