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. Click HERE for further information and to watch a session on this topic recorded as part of AGC’s 2021 Construction Risk Management Conference.

As a reminder, the CDC recommendations are for the general public and do not apply to employers or workplaces. While the updated guidance appears to be a positive development, it only applies to personal activities and is in direct conflict with the most recent COVID-19 guidance issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued on January 29. In its guidance, OSHA states that employers should not differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated people and all employees should continue to follow established protocols regarding the use of masks and social distancing. AGC encourages contractor members to continue to follow OSHA guidelines.

 

On April 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued interim public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people. People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen).

 

Fully vaccinated people can:
• Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
• Visit with unvaccinated people (including children) from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
• Participate in outdoor activities and recreation without a mask, except in certain crowded settings and venues
• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel
• Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States
• Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings
• Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic
• Refrain from routine screening testing if asymptomatic and feasible

 

For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:
• Take precautions in indoor public settings like wearing a well-fitted mask
• Wear well-fitted masks when visiting indoors with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease
• Wear well-fitted masks when visiting indoors with unvaccinated people from multiple households
• Avoid indoor large-sized in-person gatherings
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• Follow guidance issued by individual employers
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations

 

For the most up-to-date information, visit the CDC webpage here.

On or about April 20, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued new FAQs related to the recordability of adverse reactions related to employers policies requiring or recommending COVID-19 vaccinations among their employees.  OSHA states that for any adverse reaction to be recordable it must be 1) work related 2) a new case 3) meet any of the general recording criteria.  According to media reports and discussions with AGC member contractors, some have engaged in efforts to encourage workers to receive the vaccination in the form of offering financial incentives, compensation the day after receiving their second dose, if applicable, among other initiatives. While employer policies requiring employees receive the vaccination appear to be aligned with the recordkeeping regulations in the event an adverse reaction occurs, the concern is for those who simply recommend the vaccine.  According to OSHA, the adverse reaction is NOT recordable if the employer is only recommending employees receive the vaccination. But OSHA elaborates on this issue by stating that the agency is exercising their enforcement discretion in these instances and the vaccine must be “truly voluntary.” This seems to be in direct conflict with how they address the flu shot in their recordkeeping regulations.  In situations involving employers recommending the flu shot, but NOT requiring it, any adverse reactions are not to be recorded on the OSHA 300 log. AGC, and our Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) partners, believes that their expanded interpretation has the potential to suppress any efforts among employers to assist the goal of CDC and the White House to increase the vaccination rate.  Due to these concerns, AGC signed on to a letter urging OSHA to revise their response to provide an interpretation that is consistent with the recordkeeping regulations.

Registration is now open for the 2021 Construction Safety, Health & Environmental Virtual Conference! Due to continued restrictions on gatherings in our host city, Washington, D.C., we have made the decision to go virtual again.

Join us July 20-22, 2021, from wherever you are knowing that you can look forward to the same high-quality content you expect from an AGC in-person conference. Check out our agenda for more details on sessions, speakers, and networking opportunities.

We look forward to seeing you in person for the 2022 Construction Safety, Health & Environmental Conference, taking place July 26-28 in Washington, D.C.

Don’t miss out – if you participated in any of the following events, click on the links to claim your certificate of participation.

Vaccine Awareness Week in Construction, April 19-23 | Certificate of Participation
Construction Safety Week, May 3-7 | Certificate of Participation
OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, May 3-7 | Certificate of Participation

AGC of America and our survey partner, HCSS, are asking all highway and transportation members involved in highway construction work to evaluate the state of highway work zone safety by completing this annual survey. We want to collect information on the number, severity, impacts and potential solutions to highway work zone crashes. Our intention is to use the information we collect from this survey as the main focus of a media and public education campaign we will launch the week before Memorial Day and the traditional start of the summer driving season.

Please take a few minutes to complete this important highway work zone safety survey by May 14: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G9QGDVT. And of course, please do not hesitate to contact Brian Turmail at 703-459-0238 or brian.turmail@agc.org with any questions, comments or concerns about this survey and our plans to use it to promote highway work zone safety.

Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill while working in extreme heat or humid conditions. There are a range of heat illnesses and they can affect anyone, regardless of age or physical condition. OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention campaign, launched in 2011, educates employers and workers on the dangers of working in the heat. Through training sessions, outreach events, informational sessions, publications, social media messaging and media appearances, millions of workers and employers have learned how to protect workers from heat.

On April 30, AGC and its coalition partners met with staff from OMB to raise concerns about the potential ETS and question the need for such a standard 14 months into the pandemic. During the meeting, industry stakeholders highlighted the conflicting messages being delivered by the administration. The president continues to highlight the significant decline in case rates, hospitalizations, and great progress in putting an end to the pandemic through vaccination efforts. However, OSHA remains determined to issue an ETS to address the “grave danger” posed to workers, which is at odds with the current state of the pandemic and the successful efforts the construction industry put forth to minimize the risk of exposure on construction jobsites from the outset of the pandemic. A key point raised was the relatively low risk of exposure faced by construction workers and the need to regulate accordingly. Industry stakeholders also stressed the importance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and OSHA aligning their respective protocols, if an ETS is to be published, given the recent guidance issued by CDC regarding fully vaccinated individuals that has generated confusion among employers and employees. AGC will continue to monitor developments regarding the ETS and provide updates accordingly.

For more information, please contact Kevin Cannon at (703) 837-5410 or kevin.cannon@agc.org or Nazia Shah at (703) 837-5409 or nazia.shah@agc.org.

September 21-23, Orlando, FL

The AGC Annual Convention provides contractors of all sizes the opportunity to gain business-critical insights into the issues most affecting their operations. From risk management to safety on the jobsite to the latest in project management solutions, AGC brings together experts from across the industry to share their knowledge and help prepare contractors to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Register by June 16 and save $150.00 off admission. For details visit http://convention.agc.org.

For the past 20 years, Tricia Kagerer has worked in the construction industry, currently serving as the executive vice president of risk management for Jordan Foster Construction, a member of multiple AGC chapters. In 2020, she became the first female to win both the prestigious Bill McIntyre Leadership Award from the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) and the Award of Excellence from Board Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). In addition, she is a published author; her book, The B Words: 13 Words Every Woman Must Navigate for Success, was released last year. She has made it her mission to equip organizations and individuals with tools to create healthier work environments that celebrate diversity, reduce risk and empower future generations.

This Manual defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, and private toads open to public traffic. The MUTCD is published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 655, Subpart F. This manual also includes all 2012 revisions.

Construction Safety Week and Mental Health Month share more in common than both being in May. Jobsite safety and mental health are closely intertwined when it comes to construction workers’ overall wellbeing.
BY ELIZABETH HAYNIE
HEALTH & WELLNESS BENEFITS MANAGER
THE BECK GROUP, A MEMBER OF MULTIPLE AGC CHAPTERS

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, DPR Construction was facing a challenge many contractors were experiencing. A rash of infections had popped up at a San Diego jobsite that threatened their ability to stay on schedule. Ignoring the pandemic wasn’t an option, so instead, they started looking for solutions.
BY MICHAEL GIUSTI