AGC announced the results of a new analysis that found construction safety incidents dropped 38 percent over the last ten years and the construction fatality rate declined 47 percent since 1998, the year the federal government switched to a safety oversight approach known as "collaborative safety."
A new national worker safety training program developed by AGC and Zurich North America will help reduce the approximately 100 construction workers killed each year while performing highway maintenance or construction.Read the press release here.
Attend AGC's Safety & Health meeting July 22-24 in Washington, D.C., and get the latest updates on congressional activity that directly effects construction safety and health. Join more than 150 industry professionals to discuss the latest concerns facing the construction industry and network with seasoned safety experts. Participants will assist in the development of regulatory and legislative activity on a national and local level as well as new safety training programs and products. Attendees will hear the latest initiatives from OSHA and other industry experts while also making visits to Capitol Hill.The hotel deadline is June 22. Register at www.agc.org/safetymeeting.For more information, contact Kevin Cannon at (703) 837-5410 or cannonk@agc.org.
Get the latest updates on congressional activity that directly effects construction safety and health at AGC's Safety and Health Conference in Washington, D.C. Join more than 150 industry professionals to discuss the latest safety and health concerns facing the construction industry and network with seasoned safety experts July 22-24, 2009.Participate in the development of regulatory and legislative activity on both a national and local level, assist in the development and creation of new safety training programs and products and hear the latest initiatives from OSHA and other industry experts. Register at www.agc.org/safetymeeting.For more information, contact Kevin Cannon at (703) 837-5410 or cannonk@agc.org.
Today, Secretary Solis selected Jordan Barab to be Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA and Acting Assistant Secretary, effective Monday, April 13. Jordan comes to OSHA from the House Education and Labor Committee where he is the Senior Labor Policy Advisor for Health and Safety to Chairman George Miller. Prior to that, from 2002 through 2007, Jordan worked at the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.Many will remember Jordan from his first tour with OSHA, where he was Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary from 1998-2001.AGC has a long history and strong relationship with the Directorate of Construction and will continue to strengthen our relationship with OSHA and the Directorate.Please contact Kevin Cannon at (703) 837-5410 or email at cannonk@agc.org.
AGC named Oaks Corners, N.Y.-based Elderlee Inc., the safest construction company in America this year. Elderlee and 42 other construction companies were honored at AGC's 90th Convention for the strength of their safety programs and overall safety performance in 2008.
On February 17, 2009, a change in personnel was made at OSHA. Mr. Noah Connell, Deputy Director, Directorate of Construction (DOC) within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been the Acting Director for the DOC since April 2008. This was the second time in three years that Mr. Connell has been Acting Director. However, the Administration has selected Mr. Richard Fairfax, Director, Directorate of Enforcement Programs to act as the Acting Director for the DOC. Mr. Fairfax will manage both the Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Construction until the new Secretary of Labor and Assistant Secretary of Labor, OSHA select a permanent Director for the DOC. The official announcement has been made within OSHA, but not for public. The official announcement has not been made public.Mr. Steven Witt was the most recent Director for the DOC until April 2008 when it was announced by former Assistant Secretary Foulke that Mr. Witt would serve as the Director, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs. Previous to Mr. Witt, Mr. R. Bruce Swanson was the Director for the DOC for many years.AGC has a long history and strong relationship with the Directorate of Construction and will continue to strengthen our relationship with OSHA and the Directorate.Please contact Michele Myers at (703) 837-5410 or cannonk@agc.org, if you have any questions.
The Focus Four Hazards in Construction training program is offered free at various locations nationwide due to the Susan Harwood Training Grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Focus Four Hazards in Construction are falls, electrocutions, struck-by's and caught-in's. These hazards account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry, and this information was used to develop the training program. Over the last 11 years, on average, 640 workers were killed despite OSHA standards and special emphasis enforcement programs.Visit www.agc.org/focusfour for training dates near you.For more information, contact Michele Myers at (703) 837-5410 or myersm@agc.org.
On January 26, 2009, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published an announcement to hold public hearing on Crane and Derricks in Construction. The public hearings for Crane and Derricks in Construction will be held in Washington D.C. on March 17, 2009.Anyone who intends to testify at the public hearing must notify the Agency in writing by February 13, 2009. If the testimony will be longer than ten minutes, or if documentary evidence will be submitted, that information must be submitted to the Agency by March 3, 2009. For more information on the history of the Crane and Derricks in Construction proposed rule and AGC’s comments during the C-DAC process or the SBREFA panel, click here. Also, visit AGC Advocacy to review regulations and comments submitted by AGC on Safety and Health regulations throughout the year.Please contact Michele Myers at (703) 837-5410 or myersm@agc.org, if you have any questions.Previous AGC Safety and Health Newsletter articles related to the same topic:AGC Comments and Requests Public Hearings on Proposed Crane and Derricks StandardOSHA Grants Extension for Public Comments on Crane and DerricksOSHA Publishes Crane and Derrick Proposal