Construction worker falls through hole in roof at Boston construction site
A construction worker at a shopping center construction site in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood was flown off the site in a medical helicopter after he fell about 30 feet through a hole in a roof February 15. The man reportedly was lifting a piece of metal and accidentally stepped into a hole left there after an air conditioning unit was removed. Tap into Roxbury
Workplace deaths, injuries difficult to reduce in Massachusetts
Following a trench collapse that resulted in the deaths of two employees in 2016, the city of Boston passed an ordinance that requires companies to disclose Fed-OSHA violations in order to get a permit. However, a similar effort to force companies doing business with the state to disclose such violations is still under consideration at the state level. WCVB (Boston) [with video]
Fed-OSHA investigating following two construction deaths on Georgia interchange project
On Friday, a road construction worker fell several feet at the Interstate-285 and Georgia-400 worksite and died, the second fatal fall on the project in the past four months. Fed-OSHA is now investigating the worksite. CBS 46 (Atlanta) [with video]
OFF TOPIC
Federal labor authority looks to overturn union dues regulations
The Federal Labor Relations Authority is reinterpreting a federal statute governing federal employee union dues, a decision that would overturn nearly four decades of precedent governing the annual collection of dues. Previous interpretation of that statute determined union dues could only be revoked at specific, one-year intervals. Federal Times
Cincinnati contractor pleads guilty to fake training certificates
The owner of a Cincinnati-based construction company last week pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining employee safety training certificates and embezzling from the company’s pension benefit program, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The scheme reportedly involved buying fake certifications in order to compete for a contract to provide steel installation and other work for a project in Cincinnati. Highland County Press
How long can coronaviruses linger on contaminated surfaces?
It’s unknown exactly how long the novel coronavirus, a large group of viruses common among animals, can linger on contaminated surfaces and objects with the potential of infecting people, but some researchers are finding clues. CNN
According to the National Safety Council, respiratory protection violations were the fifth most cited violation in 2019. Earlier this month, Fed-OSHA established a revised National Emphasis Program to further identify and reduce or eliminate worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica. What changes were made to the NEP? For Construction Pros