Below is a quick selection of some notable safety-related news headlines for the month of SEPTEMBER 2019:
Acting OSHA Construction Safety Head Made Official
Scott Ketcham is officially the top administrator of the safety agency’s Directorate of Construction after serving for several months as acting head of the office, the Department of Labor announced Sept. 16. Ketcham succeeds Director Dean McKenzie, who died in November 2018.
U.S. Department of Labor Handles Retaliation Complaints Under New Taxpayer First Act
Under the TFA, OSHA will investigate complaints of retaliation against employees for providing information regarding underpayment of tax; violations of internal revenue laws; or violations of federal law relating to tax fraud to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), another federal entity listed in the statute, a supervisor, or any other person working for the employer who has the authority to investigate, discover, or terminate misconduct.
Working at Height in Construction: Use Harnesses and Lanyards to Keep Employees Safe
Having the right safety precautions in place isn’t just good for your employees, it’s good for your business. Considering that the costs of non-compliance can sky-rocket (and quickly, to boot), being anything less than fastidious about safety can debilitate your otherwise reputable construction company.
New Jersey adopts 2018 I-codes to increase safety and resiliency
The I-codes are the most widely used and adopted set of building safety codes. The code council updates the I-codes every three years to incorporate the latest technologies. The codes are developed using an open, governmental consensus process in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) A119 requirements for U.S. national voluntary consensus codes and standards.
Is OSHA Increasing Inspections? Get Your Rooftop Fall Protection Up to Code Now
Over the past few years, OSHA has been steadily increasing the frequency of its inspections. OSHA carried out more inspections than ever in 2018 (32,000) and recently, Secretary of Labor Jim Acosta went on record saying that he “fully expects inspections to increase” in 2019.
Pasadena Adopts New Stricter State Building Codes for Fire Safety, Construction and Mechanical Codes
Pasadena’s City Council Monday night approved the adoption of the new codes, as well as amendments that would keep in effect some even stricter local codes passed in 2016.
OSHA officials discuss the agency’s current activities during Tech Session
Several other NEPs will be updated and rereleased, said Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, during Wednesday’s “OSHA Current Activities Update” Technical Session at the National Safety Council 2019 Congress & Expo.