On Sept. 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2188 into law, enacting restrictions effective Jan. 1, 2024, on employers’ use of cannabis metabolite testing to penalize existing employees and candidates for employment. AB 2188 lends definition to an emerging nationwide landscape of adjustments in state employment regulation to increasingly permissive medical and recreational cannabis laws.

On Aug. 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit issued its long-awaited decision on the federal contractor COVID-19 vaccine mandate case. In a major victory for ABC and its members, the 11th Circuit’s decision narrowed the December 2021 nationwide preliminary injunction granted by the Georgia District Court to only ABC members who bid on federal contracts and the state plaintiffs in the case. The 2021 injunction was a direct result of ABC intervening as the lone business group challenging the federal contractor vaccine mandate, along with the seven plaintiff state governments.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently issued an updated suicide prevention poster that you can customize with your logo and post in the workplace. Everyone can help prevent suicide. Do your part to raise awareness of the warning signs of suicide and how to get help if a colleague is in crisis.

There’s a brand-new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. The 988 lifeline connects callers to an existing network of more than 200 local crisis call centers across the United States, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s number—1 (800) 273-8255—will route calls to 988. The goal is to aid those seeking help through safe, immediate intervention, similar to the 911 hotline for emergencies. 

According to a recent press release from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 22 workers have died in the first half of 2022 as a result of the hazards present in trenching and excavation work, prompting OSHA to launch enhanced enforcement initiatives to protect workers. In keeping with its National Emphasis Program for excavations, OSHA compliance officers will perform more than 1,000 trench inspections nationwide where they may visit and inspect any excavation site during their daily duties.

On July 13, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued its quarterly update on compliance assistance resources. 

On June 30, ABC submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed amendments to its occupational injury and illness recordkeeping regulation and urged the agency to withdraw the harmful rule.

From May 2-6, ABC will observe Construction Safety Week and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction with a social media campaign sharing tools and resources. ABC encourages its members to participate in these events and renew their commitment to keep all workers safe on all jobsites.

On April 5, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it is starting an enforcement program that identifies employers who failed to submit Form 300A data through the agency’s Injury Tracking Application. The enforcement program will begin in early April and was developed in response to recommendations from the Government Accountability Office to improve reporting of summary injury and illness data.

On Jan. 26, ABC, as a steering committee member of the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Heat Injury and