Truckers Groups Rally Support for Safe Rig Parking Legislation

• Trucking industry groups are rallying support for the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, which would authorize the Transportation secretary to issue $755 million in grants for projects that create truck parking.
• There is currently only one parking spot for every 11 trucks on the road, resulting in drivers wasting an average of one hour every day trying to secure parking and forcing truck drivers to make a choice between safety and following federal Hours-of-Service rules, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
• “By expanding access to parking options for truckers, we are making our roads safer for all commuters and ensuring that goods and supplies are shipped to market in the most efficient way possible,” co-sponsor Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) said in a statement.
  READ MORE

Cannabis Grower Curaleaf Can’t Block OSHA Inspection

• Curaleaf cannot block an OSHA inspection warrant, a federal magistrate judge has ruled.
• The marijuana grower/distributor blocked an OSHA inspection of its New Jersey facility last year after the agency targeted the company based on its high-rate of reported worker injuries, according to US Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal.
• While the company claimed OSHA’s inspection warrant lacked administrative probable cause, the magistrate said the inspection and investigation of Curaleaf isn’t arbitrary because it’s based on a neutral administrative plan.
• OSHA has issued hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines to several cannabis operators for a variety of violations, cannabis industry publication Green Market Report said last month.
  READ MORE

Road Builder Injury, Death Rates Buck Construction Industry Increases

• Recent analysis by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) found that fatal injuries in the highway, street and bridge sector fell some 15% between 2011-2023, contrasting with the 41% increase in fatal injuries for the rest of the construction sector.
• For non-fatal injuries and illnesses in the HSB sector, cases per 1,000 workers fell to 46%, the analysis showed.
• The trade group said its analysis shows that the highway sector shows it is making “measured progress in reducing worker deaths and injuries.”
  READ MORE