Protecting your employees against falls is one of the most important things you can do to ensure their safety. Year after year falls from elevation are the leading cause of death in construction, with fall protection continually being ranked first on the list of OSHA’s most frequently cited violations. You can help put a stop to these accidents by educating your employees on fall hazards and proper safety measures - not only during the National Safety Stand-Down, but throughout the entire year.

Winter is in full swing. With the cold weather, winter also brings a slew of workplace safety hazards. From proper attire to snow removal and slippery surfaces, you should be thinking about how the cold weather impacts your employees. How can you protect them from the cold this winter?

Consider the following tips to keep your workforce prepared and protected:

Shoveling snow, using snow blowers, and removing snow from roofs bring hazards for your workers. Educate your employees on both the dangers and proper snow removal techniques this winter to prevent injuries.

Each year OSHA releases the 10 most frequently cited standards. Many of the same standards have found themselves on this list in recent years. Fall Protection - General Requirements (Standard 1926.501) remains on top by a wide margin. The only new addition to this year's list is Fall Protection - Training Requirements (Standard 1926.503) at #9.

Are you taking proper precautions to avoid these hazards in your facility and promote workplace safety?

Winter weather often means an increase in slips, trips, and falls. The snow, ice, freezing rain, and cold temperatures can create more hazardous conditions for workers.  

To improve workplace safety, inform your employees of the dangers surrounding winter weather and educate them on strategies to prevent injury.

Box cutters and utility knives are useful tools we find at work and home. From the shipping and receiving department at a warehouse and a retail store’s stock room to an office resource room and even your own garage – box cutters and utility knives are used quite regularly in a variety of environments.

Though it seems simple and not nearly as dangerous as many other tools you may encounter, improper use of box cutters can still result in injury. We often overlook this risk. A little education can go a long way to stopping these preventable injuries at home and in the workplace.

A cheap red gas can you purchased at a convenience store can be useful on the jobsite when you need a little bit of gas to finish out your project, but does it meet OSHA’s safety requirements?

Probably not.

As we shared in May 2017, OSHA delayed the enforcement for the final rule on respirable crystalline silica in construction until September 23, 2017. But what does this mean for employers in the construction industry?

As many of you are aware, OSHA issued a final rule related to the tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses. Though there have been some delays, OSHA is now accepting electronic submissions of your injury and illness reports.

Certain employers, as specified below, are required to submit the information from their 2016 reports electronically by December 1, 2017. We encourage you to check with your state’s OSHA consultation division to confirm their guidance on this regulation.

OSHA has proposed a delay in the compliance date for the electronic submission of injury and illness logs. Rather than the original deadline of July 1, 2017, OSHA has announced delaying the submission deadline until December 1, 2017 to provide the agency with time to review the rule and questions that have been raised.