One of ABC’s Business Partners, General Motors, recently received eight J.D. Power Initial Quality Awards – more than any other automaker. ABC members can take advantage of discounts on some of the award-winning vehicles by visiting ABC’s Business Partner page. 

OSHA must stick to a six-month statute of limitations when citing a company for failure to record an injury or illness and cannot treat such an event as a continuing violation throughout the five-year recordkeeping period, according to an April 6 decision by a federal appeals court. The decision overturned a position that had been in place since 1993. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it is withdrawing a Dec. 1 direct final rule that would have altered the USDA’s procurement policies to require federal contractors to certify that they, as well as their subcontractors and suppliers, were in compliance with all applicable labor laws. 

For more than three years, ABC has advocated for the repeal of the complex and costly employer mandate included in the Affordable Care Act. On July 2, the Obama Administration finally acknowledged employers’ concerns about implementing the burdensome requirements in a timely and effective manner. 

(R-Utah) June 27 proposed a “blank slate” approach for tax reform and called on their fellow Senators to provide proposals for tax expenditures that should be added back to the tax code and improved.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced June 17 that it has released a new ladder safety smartphone app, which uses visual and audio signals to make it easier for workers using extension ladders to check the angle of the ladder and offers useful tips for using extension ladders safely. The app is available for free download on iPhone and Android devices. 

The U.S. Senate voted 68-32 to pass the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744) on June 27 with language that places a limit on the number of guest worker visas available to the construction industry.

OSHA June 13 issued a direct final rule to update the construction signage standards by adding references to the latest versions of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) consensus standards on specifications for accident prevention signs and tags. The rule retains the existing references to the earlier ANSI standards, which allows employers the option to either comply with the updated or earlier standards.

OSHA announced on June 25 that it will be conducting a new National Emphasis Program on occupational exposure to isocyanates, which are used in materials including paints, varnishes, auto body repair, and building insulation. 

During a public-private partnership conference June 27 in Linthicum, Md., experts on P3s gathered to discuss their advantages, how they can provide savings over the long-term and Maryland’s new P3 law (H.B. 560) that went into effect July 1.