The anticipated publishing of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) COVID-19 emergency temporary standards (ETS) is currently on hold. Since President Biden issued his executive order on January 21, which set a March 15 deadline to issue an ETS if deemed necessary, industry stakeholders have been closely monitoring the rulemaking process. According to reports from agency officials, Secretary Walsh requested OSHA update the materials to reflect the latest science and status of COVID-19. These updates will be based on the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis and information related to the state of vaccinations and the variants. As ѻý has previously reported, the standard could require employers to develop and implement COVID-19 safety plans that follow guidance from the CDC. It could potentially address other issues, such as paying workers if they are required to quarantine and ensuring those employees have jobs after their absence.
Please join with ѻý of America in planning to participate in this year’s Construction Safety Week, May 3-7. The theme is Holistic Safety: Be Present. Be Focused. Be Safe. Our commitment to staying safe and focused on the job is a point of pride and strength that runs across our entire industry. In order to ensure holistic safety, we must strive to create both a physically and mentally safe environment and make every aspect of our wellbeing part of our safety culture and programs. We must prioritize both physical and psychological safety in the workplace, and how together, they play an important role in our relationships with our team members and with our ability to bring our safest, most productive, best selves to work every day.
Agency Should Consider Science, Experience and Practical, Industry-Specific Approaches
On February 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report finding, among other things, that fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask (“double masking”) improved source control and reduced wearer exposure to contracting COVID-19. Since the report’s release, news articles have circulated that suggest double masking is now a formal recommendation by CDC. Upon review, ѻý holds that these findings simply highlight the importance of a good fit to maximize overall mask performance for the user and those whom the user may encounter, and NOT a formal CDC recommendation. The CDC on February 11 updated its “Guidance for Wearing Masks” webpage, which contains “What You Need to Know” bullets that are good reminders of the policies and procedures related to masks that the CDC recommends. Neither the recent report nor the updated CDC webpage would by itself lead to changes in an employer’s existing safety procedures and policies.
The construction industry is raising awareness and encouraging open discussion about mental health and substance abuse to reduce suicide in the workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic has added stress, anxiety, and fear to contractors’ already high risk of suicide. We can all agree this is a scary subject and we need to address the public health crisis in our country. But how do we heal our workforce? Please use the following resources to help you spot warning signs, start the conversation, and provide support to those who need it – which can save lives. It takes construction professionals at all levels working together and with their risk partners to build a culture of caring and prevention.
The ѻý Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA), sponsored by Willis Towers Watson, is the industry’s elite safety excellence awards program. The CSEA recognizes companies that have developed and implemented premier safety and risk control programs and showcases companies that have achieved continuous improvement and maintenance of their safety and health management systems. Don’t miss this opportunity to be recognized for your best-in-class safety program! For more information on the CSEA program, please visit www.agc.org/csea. The deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday, March 31, 2021.
ѻý is requesting presentation proposals covering construction safety and health issues as well as those cross-over topics that would appeal to a broader audience of Safety, Health & Environmental (SH&E) professionals; for example leadership, management, training, general technologies, or risk and crisis management that use a mix of safety and health and environmental examples. The conference addresses the most critical safety, health and environmental issues impacting the business of construction, provides management guidance for professionals, and gives context for other construction professionals looking to understand the key concepts and round out their knowledge. For more information on speaker expectations, important deadlines, and how to submit your proposal, click here.
On Jan. 29, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued new guidance on protecting workers and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Per OSHA, the guidance is not a standard or regulation, creates no new legal obligations and the recommendations are advisory in nature, informational in content, and are intended to assist employers in recognizing and abating hazards in the workplace.
On January 21, President Biden issued an executive order (EO) calling on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue revised COVID-19 guidance to employers by February 4. In addition to issuing revised guidance, OSHA must consider if an emergency temporary standard (ETS) is necessary, including the necessity for masks in the workplace. If an ETS is deemed necessary—which ѻý expects OSHA to do—the agency must issue the standard by March 15. The EO further directs OSHA to launch a national emphasis program (NEP) to focus enforcement efforts on COVID-19 violations in workplaces that place large numbers of workers at risk and to respond to any retaliatory practices undertaken by employers, work with state OSHA plans to ensure that workers in those states are equally protected consistent with OSHA’s guidance and ETS, and to conduct outreach campaigns to inform workers of their rights. In addition, the EO puts forth a similar process for a COVID-19 ETS to be considered and issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) as soon as practicable. ѻý is engaging with these agencies to ensure the construction industries’ concerns are addressed.
Impact on Federal Construction Projects Unclear