One man was killed and another injured at a New York City construction site when a large piece of glass fell from one of Manhattan’s tallest skyscrapers. According to news reports, 67-year-old security guard Harry Ramnauth died and a 27-year-old sustained injuries that required hospitalization when the eight-foot-by-14-foot glass panel fell at around 10:30 on Saturday morning.

Many manufacturers use one of two options to clear the air of welding fumes – filter the dirty air and recirculate clean air inside the facility, or exhaust the dirty air outside and provide clean replacement air from outside.

Wichita, Kansas roofing contractor Jose Barrientos faces $191,071 in fines after OSHA inspectors observed roofers at a Derby, Kansas, residential site working without appropriate fall protection. OSHA cited the employer for failing to provide adequate fall, eye, and face protection; train workers on fall hazards, ladder usage, and hazardous materials; and clear debris from the work area.

With nearly 126 million full-time U.S. workers at risk of occupational illness and injury, it is critical to prioritize our research efforts to address the most important issues. One approach used by NIOSH and its partners to establish priorities is to consider the burden, need, and impact of potential research topics.

OSHA is proposing a rule to clarify crane operator certification requirements – one which would reinstate the employer's duty to ensure that a crane operator is qualified to safely operate equipment. The agency says a change to the categories of certifications for crane operators under the proposed rule would ensure more operators are able to meet the requirement.

Just last week, a California worker was buried alive under tons of soil in an unprotected 17 foot deep trench and two weeks ago an unidentified 34-year old South Dakota construction worker was crushed to death in a 10 to 15 feet deep trench. Unfortunately, par for course in these United States. Why, I don’t know.

Thousands of worksites will join OSHA and its partners this week for the annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, with events across the country. Employers and workers will pause during the workday to talk about fall hazards, OSHA compliance, and industry best practices to prevent falls in all workplaces.

Workers across the nation are participating in the fifth National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, during the week of May 7-11. With falls on construction sites the leading cause of death in the industry, employers are encouraged to stop all work at some point during this week and speak directly to their workers about fall hazards through talks, demonstrations and training to reinforce the importance of proper fall prevention.

April 26th marked the 10th Anniversary Memorial Mass for Deceased Construction Workers in New York City, better known as the Annual Hardhat Mass. At this mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral, all those killed on a construction site in New York City are remembered and revered.

New construction safety training legislation establishes a program to provide equal access to construction site safety training (SST) for workers in New York City. This training is in addition to existing federal, state and local requirements.