Category Archives: Safety

The green light for safety: Ensuring safety with heavy-haul trailers

The green light for safety ensuring safety with heavy-haul trailers

by Troy Geisler, vice president of sales and marketing, Talbert Manufacturing Safety on the jobsite is easy to recognize with hardhats, earplugs and blinding neon vests. But beyond the jobsite, when hauling equipment from one location to the next, for instance, how can safety be ensured? It all comes down to the load and the […]

Alarming rise in trench-related fatalities spurs U.S. Department of Labor to announce enhanced nationwide enforcement, additional oversight

Alarming rise in trench-related fatalities spurs U.S. Department of Labor to announce enhanced nationwide enforcement, additional oversight

22 workers have perished in first half of 2022, a 68 percent increase over all of 2021  WASHINGTON – In 2022’s first six months, 22 workers have fallen victim to the deadly hazards present in trenching and excavation work – surpassing 15 in all of 2021 – and prompting the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety […]

Do your machines have anti-restart protection? Here is how to find out

Do your machines have anti-restart protection? Here is how to find out

In order to meet certain regulations, and as a best safety practice, machinery must be prevented from automatically or unintentionally restarting when an unscheduled power interruption occurs. The safety regulations that reference preventing accidental operation can be found in OSHA 1910.217 (b)(8)(ii) and ANSI B11.1-2009 (6)(2)(3). OSHA 1910 Subpart O specifies two categories of machines […]

Sensing-Saf-Start from Rockford Systems protects machine operators from accidental re-starts following power interruptions

Sensing-Saf-Start from Rockford Systems protects machine operators from accidental re-starts following power interruptions

ROCKFORD, IL— Drills, mills, lathes, grinders, saws and other dangerous machinery can abruptly shut down during operation due to an unscheduled power interruption. When an unintended shutdown takes place, it is critically important that the machine does not automatically restart, catching the operator by surprise and leading to a serious accident. 

Tips to minimize damage, protect parking structures during winter

Chemical deicers and snowplows are commonly used in winter to eliminate hazardous ice and snow from parking decks and structures. While deicers are doing their job melting away snow and ice, some may actually be corroding the parking structure’s concrete and reinforcing steel, and some snow removal techniques may actually be doing more damage than […]

Sandvik Mobile Crushers & Screens reach major safety milestone

Sandvik Mobile Crushers & Screens reach major safety milestone

Sandvik Mobile Crushers & Screens have reached a major safety milestone with 1,000 days without a lost time incident. Our employees have worked 2 years, 8 months, and 27 days without any lost time injury, which is a measure of monitoring incidents that result in an employee missing work due to an injury or accident in the workplace. Manufacturing engineering […]

Road Widener brings heightened safety to road crews with offset vibratory roller attachment

Road Widener brings heightened safety to road crews with offset vibratory roller attachment

Road Widener LLC., a leading manufacturer of innovative road construction equipment, offers the industry’s first offset vibratory roller attachment. The attachment’s offset, patented design allows the host machine to drive safely on flat ground while compacting sloping shoulders, ditches and other hard-to-reach roadside areas, a task that has traditionally put road crews in danger of […]

Doug Parker, chief of Cal OSHA, nominated to lead OSHA

Doug Parker, chief of Cal OSHA, nominated to lead OSHA

  Source: Safety Law Matters By Donna Pryor, Erik Dullea & Tracey O’Brien on April 12, 2021 On April 9, 2021, the White House issued a press release announcing its nomination of Douglas Parker (Parker) for the position of Assistant Secretary for the Occupational and Health Administration (OSHA). Parker is currently the chief of California’s […]

How to respond to OSHA’s COVID enforcement

How to respond to OSHA’s COVID enforcement

Make sure you are adhering to the agency’s and CDC workplace guidances Source: EHS Today David Sparkman Mar 25, 2021 Employers now find themselves in the crosshairs of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) amped-up enforcement of its COVID-19 guidelines and need to take immediate action to avoid the potential flood of citations and […]

How to Respond to OSHA’s COVID Enforcement

How to Respond to OSHA’s COVID Enforcement

Make sure you are adhering to the agency’s and CDC workplace guidances. Source: EHS Today David Sparkman Employers now find themselves in the crosshairs of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) amped-up enforcement of its COVID-19 guidelines and need to take immediate action to avoid the potential flood of citations and penalties expected to […]

Unsafe work practices around conveyors

Unsafe work practices around conveyors

Because of their size, speed and high-horsepower drive motors, conveyors pose a number of risks to personnel working on or near them. In addition to all of the physical danger zones, when an injury occurs, “fault” is often attributed to injured workers’ actions or inactions. However, safety experts point out that injuries generally occur due […]

US Department of Labor issues stronger mine safety guidance on coronavirus

US Department of Labor issues stronger mine safety guidance on coronavirus

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued stronger worker safety guidance to help mine operators and mine workers implement a coronavirus protection program and better identify risks that could lead to exposure. The Mine Safety and Health Administration’s “Protecting Miners: MSHA Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19” provides updated guidance and recommendations, […]

How to identify fake N95 masks

How to identify fake N95 masks

10 million counterfeit masks already have been seized by the government. Source: EHS Today David Sparkman Feb 18, 2021 News recently surfaced that the federal and state governments are grappling with a massive counterfeiting ring that managed to distribute at least 10 million fake 3M N95 masks throughout at least five states—and those are just […]

Aquajet training options provide customized solutions

Aquajet training options provide customized solutions

MONROE, WA — Aquajet now offers on-demand training options to maximize productivity and safety on the jobsite. In addition to in-depth, hands-on training with each machine commission, Aquajet’s North American subsidiary provides continuing education options on-site or through its network of facilities across the United States. Training is tailored to customer need and operator experience […]

Safety must be made a top priority

Safety must be made a top priority

“Optimistically, I believed that all of us in the contract and construction industry considered safety as the single most important issue. That safety tops profitability and efficiency,” Stig Engström, owner and founder of Engcon. Unfortunately, the reality is different. In 2020, 30 people were injured at work in Sweden, which is proof that we have […]

OSHA Penalties Increase Effective Jan. 15

OSHA Penalties Increase Effective Jan. 15

Source: EHS Today As a reminder, OSHA’s civil penalty amounts for workplace safety and health violations will increase slightly effective tomorrow in accordance with cost-of-living adjustments for 2021. These penalty levels apply to any violations assessed after Jan. 15. OSHA’s maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $134,937 to $136,532 per violation. […]

EEOC issues COVID-19 vaccine guidance, allowing employer mandates

EEOC issues COVID-19 vaccine guidance, allowing employer mandates

Source: Safety Law Matters By Brittany Falkowski, Jenna Brofsky, Timothy A. Hilton & Avi Meyerstein on December 18, 2020 Posted in Compliance tips, MSHA, OSHA As vaccines roll out, employers have been asking how to prepare and whether they can mandate vaccination for their employees. This week the EEOC released fresh guidance, confirming that mandates […]

Caterpillar collaborates with Guardhat to deliver expanded safety solutions for miners

Caterpillar collaborates with Guardhat to deliver expanded safety solutions for miners

Caterpillar is collaborating with Guardhat to offer their proven safety solutions to surface mining operations through Cat® dealers. The two companies are also developing a new system, Cat Connected Worker, which will use wearables to provide added protection for people. The new system will also deliver event-based monitoring and mapping to aid analysis and enhancement […]

A vision of zero accidents can only be achieved once the industry understands dropped bucket risks

A vision of zero accidents can only be achieved once the industry understands dropped bucket risks

Since 2013, when Engcon launched its Non Accident Generation, the company has continued to push the issue of safety in the excavation industry. Yet 7 years later, there are still far too few actors in the industry who are prepared to commit to safety issues. Engcon’s goal is a vision of zero bucket related accidents. […]

OSHA reveals COVID-19 enforcement priorities

OSHA reveals COVID-19 enforcement priorities

Also publishes guidance regarding workplace ventilation Source: EHS Today David Sparkman Nov 23, 2020 OSHA has revealed the criteria it relies on to target employers for COVID-19 investigations along with naming those who received citations and the penalties they were assessed. The agency also recently issued a new COVID-19 guidance for employers addressing ventilation standards […]

With almost $3 million in penalties issued, OSHA advises on frequently-cited COVID standards

With almost $3 million in penalties issued, OSHA advises on frequently-cited COVID standards

Source: Safety Law Matters By Avi Meyerstein on November 16, 2020 Posted in Compliance tips, OSHA OSHA announced last week that it has issued 204 citations so far relating to COVID-19 with total penalties of $2,856,533. As these penalties continue to climb, OSHA also issued new guidance to help employers understand which standards it most […]

Hy-Brid Lifts meet updated safety standards in U.S. and Canada

Hy-Brid Lifts meet updated safety standards in U.S. and Canada

RICHFIELD, WI — Hy-Brid Lifts, an industry leader in high-quality, low-level access equipment, meets and exceeds U.S. and Canadian standards to provide the highest level of safety and comfort for customers. Both standards – ANSI A92.20 and CSA B354.6 – are the baseline from which Hy-Brid Lifts engineers each lift model. The CSA Group (formerly […]

Is it the flu or COVID-19? 4 key steps to address new workplace challenges at the start of flu season

Is it the flu or COVID-19? 4 key steps to address new workplace challenges at the start of flu season

by Travis Vance / Fisher Phillips The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more workplace law challenges over the past six months or so than many employers will see in a lifetime. From changing directives on wearing masks, determining what to do when an employee is ill with COVID-19, and tracking the hours of employees working at home, employers have […]

A reminder to employers on COVID-19

A reminder to employers on COVID-19

COVID-19 has presented some significant challenges for employers as they continue to manage active worksites while ensuring their employees are following the guidelines for stopping the spread. AGC NYS wants to remind our members that it is critical that employers make sure that safety protocols and practices are being followed and your workplaces are compliant with […]