Safety Matters - Construction Safety and Health Update

www.agc.org • November 2016

Top News

BLS Data Shows Drop in Recordable Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 2015

Occupational injury and illness data released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a significant drop in the rate of recordable workplace injuries and illnesses in 2015, continuing a pattern of decline that, apart from 2012, has occurred annually for the last 13 years.

Private industry employers reported about 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2015, representing a decline of about 48,000 from 2014, despite an increase in total hours worked. The rate of cases recorded was 3.0 cases per 100 full-time workers – down from 3.2 in 2014. The rate is the lowest recorded since at least 2002, when OSHA recordkeeping requirements were modified.

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health issued the following statement:

"We are encouraged to see the significant decline in worker injury and illness rates. This is the result of the relentless efforts of employers, unions, worker advocates, occupational safety and health professionals, and federal and state government agencies ensuring that worker safety and health remains a top priority every day."

"Despite the decline, approximately 2.9 million private sector workers suffered nonfatal injuries and illnesses last year. That is still far too many. At OSHA, we will continue to do all that we can to continue driving the rate down."

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

Submit Your Application for the 18th Annual Willis Towers Watson Construction Safety Excellence Awards

The Willis Towers Watson-AGC Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA) is the industry’s elite safety excellence awards program for contractors of all types and sizes. It is unique because applicants are not only judged based on their submitted applications, but also make five minute presentations to a panel of five judges who then ask questions of the finalists. 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 system.

So don’t miss the opportunity to get recognized for your best-in-class safety program! For more information on the Willis-AGC CSEA program and to download your application, please visit www.agc.org/csea. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, December 19, 2016. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact Kevin Cannon at (703) 837-5410 or cannonk@agc.org.

Regulatory & Legislative Updates

OSHA Delays Rule Enforcement Related to Post-Incident Drug Testing Position

At AGC’s Urging, Congress Weighs in on this Issue

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) delayed enforcement until Dec. 1, 2016 of the anti-retaliation provisions in its injury and illness reporting rule, which highlighted OSHA’s intention to enforce policies that could restrict mandatory post-incident alcohol and drug testing. At AGC’s urging, more than 30 members of Congress called on OSHA to reconsider and withdraw this controversial and unsubstantiated position.

OSHA issued this delay at the request of a federal court currently considering a motion challenging the anti-retaliation provisions. The letter from members of Congress comes on the heels of AGC grassroots efforts and AGC Chapter and contractor Capitol Hill meetings following the association’s National and Chapter Leadership Conference in late September.

AGC previously met with the head of OSHA, noting the association’s opposition to the agency’s drug testing position and that position’s challenge to safe, drug-free workplaces and drug testing programs collectively bargained with organized labor, among other things.

Events

Safety and Health Conference
January 25-27, 2017
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Please join fellow safety professionals on Jan. 25 – 27, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and participate in the development of regulatory and legislative activity on both at national and local level, assist in the development and creation of new safety training programs and products and hear the latest initiatives from OSHA and other industry experts. All those who are managing construction safety and health issues on either construction projects or at a corporate level should consider attending.

The latest updates to regulations and OSHA activities;
Get the latest updates on congressional activities directly affecting construction safety and health;
Participate on subcommittee and taskforce meetings on DOD, Utility Infrastructure, Highway & Transportation and more;
Take an active role in improving safety and health in the construction industry; and
Don’t miss the social events hosted by the sponsors and AGC and interact with other attendees.

International Powered Access Federation (IPAF)

Chapter News

VOSH and AGC of Virginia Announce Virginia Best Strategic Partnership

The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) program and AGC of Virginia have entered into a strategic partnership to bring a first in the nation - Virginia BEST Program (Building Excellence in Safety, Health and Training) to AGCVA members.

Virginia BEST is designed to encourage and recognize AGCVA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia.

Commissioner of Labor and Industry C. Ray Davenport and Mike Cagle, chairman of the board for the AGCVA, signed a strategic partnership agreement on Oct. 13, 2016. "We applaud the AGCVA for undertaking this first of its kind partnership with the VOSH Program to recognize AGCVA members who implement safety and health management systems that protect construction workers and set a standard of achievement for the construction industry in Virginia," said Davenport.

"Safe jobsites are the most crucial component of construction work. Virginia BEST is designed to reduce employee injuries, improve employee morale and position AGCVA members to be more competitive by becoming the best in class construction companies. This historic program will be the model as every state will want to follow Virginia’s lead in the Virginia BEST program," said AGCVA’s Cagle.

Core elements of the Virginia BEST Program include:

1) Management Leadership and Employee Involvement

2) Worksite Analysis

3) Hazard Prevention and Control

4) Safety and Health Training

Three levels of participation in Virginia BEST are provided:

Level 1 - The basic achievement level in the Virginia BEST program for applicants that develop and implement an effective safety and health management system that meets current VOSH regulatory requirements.

Level 2 - The intermediate achievement level in the Virginia BEST program for applicants having an established safety and health management system that exceeds current VOSH regulatory requirements.

Level 3 - The highest achievement level in the Virginia BEST program for applicants having an exceptional safety and health management system that serves as a model for other construction employers.

Benefits are provided commensurate with the level of participation in Virginia BEST. Participants that achieve Level Three recognition will receive an exemption from planned construction inspections from the VOSH Program, which allows VOSH to focus its limited compliance resources on high injury and illness rate employers.

Construction contractors that participate in Virginia BEST will substantially improve safety and health protections for Virginia workers through cooperative efforts to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatal accidents. Virginia BEST participants will implement safety and health management systems which have consistently demonstrated decreased bottom line costs associated with dramatically reduced injury and illness rates and improved productivity and employee morale and retention. Reducing private sector employer costs associated with injuries, illnesses and fatal accidents enhances a company’s economic viability and competitiveness, and increases available capital for reinvestment, expansion and new hiring.

Costs avoided include workers’ compensation charges, insurance premium increases, property damage, production downtime, employee replacement and retraining, and litigation expenses.

For more information on the Virginia BEST Program, contact Allen Hatch, Virginia BEST Coordinator, at 540-248-9280, ext. 15, or at allen.hatch@doli.virginia.gov

For more information on the best practices for preventing fatalities, injuries and illnesses: http://www.doli.virginia.gov/vosh_enforcement/fatalities_intro.html

Best Practices

Improving Jobsite Safety: There's an App for That

BY DEBRA WOOD

Data collection and reporting with iAuditor from SafetyCulture allows construction managers to quickly recognize and correct hazards to improve jobsite safety.

"We created an app that was focused on empowering the front-line people and giving them the ability to create a digital workflow," says Luke Anear, founder and CEO of SafetyCulture in Sydney, Australia.

"This is giving construction companies real-time visibility of their operations on site. They can share that information quickly as reports are done automatically."

Contractors can set up the inspection forms they want to use and comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for the type of work being done. SafetyCulture iAuditor features a library with more than 60,000 templates. Users can place reminders in the audit specific to that job or location and set up alerts to notify a supervisor the moment an issue is identified.

"I like the ability to make it your own," says Mike Gimpel, an AECOM environmental, safety & health specialist, working on the Caterpillar Global Services Project, with more than 600 people at 30 Caterpillar facilities. AECOM is a member of multiple AGC chapters.

"It’s crucial to remain in contact with all of those guys," Gimpel says.

AECOM began using SafetyCulture iAuditor two years ago for workplace and other safety inspections. But now it uses it to manage the entire safety program. Management can review audits by members of their team.

Gimpel estimates it took supervisors two hours to complete a safety audit on paper and document it by inputting the information into a spread sheet. Now, with SafetyCulture iAuditor, it takes minutes.

"Your supervisors are in the field, and that’s where they need to be to keep your guys safe," Gimpel says.

SafetyCulture iAuditor has GPS integration and will instantly add a location to the checklist or a photo. End users can highlight, draw or circle specific areas or points-of-interest on a photo, making communication between team members and subcontractors easier. It can be used for quality assessments as well as safety.

"It shows the customer how the work was done," Anear says.

The app integrates with Salesforce and SharePoint. People can add information even when internet access is not available and sync the checklist with SafetyCulture when cellular service becomes obtainable again. The software works on Apple and Android phones and tablets and on desktop computers. A Windows version is coming this year.

Gimpel says learning to use SafetyCulture iAuditor is easy, even for people who spent most of their lives in a paper-based world.

"Ease of use drives the engagement," Anear says. "Even the most unlikely workers pick it up, use it and love it very quickly."

Anear estimates inspections not only take less time but also increase the amount of data collected.

"We want to make safety available to every worker in the field," Anear says.

iAUDITOR

221 Sturt Street

Townsville QLD 4810 Australia

U.S. - 816-787-1343

www.safetyculture.io

Free to use and create PDF files. Interested contractors can try a paid plan for free for 30 days. The cost is $9 per user per month to unlock exporting to Word or Excel. Advanced exporting allows direct uploading to the construction firm’s server. It costs $9 per month to create full backups and collaborate with teams.

Safety Cabinet

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices or MUTCD Available in AGC Store

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