Safely operating large, potentially dangerous construction and agricultural equipment can be challenging. Information that enhances training and usage can help reduce the risks of working with such equipment. One source of information about equipment safety is the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which has resources available to both its 900+ members and to the general public.

Being cited seven times in the past five years for safety violations apparently has not made an impression on Jose A. Serrato. The independent roofing contractor based in Marietta, Georgia has again been cited by OSHA for exposing his workers to fall hazards – this time at a worksite in Birmingham. Current proposed penalties total $133,604.

OSHA has cited a Florida construction company after one of its employees died from heat exposure while working at a residential site in Jacksonville. Middleburg-based Southeastern Subcontractors Inc. failed to protect its workers from the dangerous hazards of working outdoors in extreme heat, according to OSHA, which issued the one serious citation for exposing employees to heat-related injuries, and one other-than-serious violation for failing to report a workplace fatality to OSHA within 8 hours of its occurrence.

During Women’s History Month, NIOSH will highlight several female researchers and their contributions to NIOSH and America’s workers. Christine M. Branche, Ph.D., is the Director of the NIOSH Office of Construction Safety and Health. Dr. Branche began her career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1996 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. In 2007, Dr. Branche joined NIOSH.

OSHA last week launched a regional Focus Four Campaign in the Mid-Atlantic States to address the four leading causes of fatal injuries in construction. Throughout the month of March, the campaign will use toolbox talks and outreach events to focus on electrical hazards.

Outdoor workplaces expose employees to increased sun exposure, infectious insects and poisonous plants where susceptibility is much higher. Education and protection against them are simple safeguards that are encouraged by OSHA. So how are you protecting your outdoor workers?

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica is nothing new for employees on construction sites. However, this exposure can cause serious health issues. In response to these concerns, OSHA issued a new rule on exposure to silica in construction.

His fellow workers could hear his voice – at first – then a construction worker buried in a trench collapse fell silent, and died. The incident occurred at a suburban Detroit worksite at 1:30 yesterday afternoon – although emergency responders were not able to recover the man’s body for four hours, according to news reports. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A bizarre early morning accident in San Diego last week left two construction workers with serious injuries and a motorist on the lam. The incident in the Bay Ho neighborhood of the city began at 12:30 a.m., when a motorist struck and dragged a hose near a construction site.