Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC of America's CEO, responded after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit's decision to uphold federal silica rules as part of an association-backed legal challenge to the measure.
 

"It is disappointing that the appeals court has decided to allow the misguided federal silica rules to proceed despite the many legitimate concerns we and other groups raised about the measure. Today's decision underscores just how difficult it is to overturn federal regulations, even one as deeply flawed as this measure.  That is why we have long cautioned our members to take every possible step to comply with this measure instead of gambling on a long-shot legal victory.

 "Our intention from day one has been to find a way to continue reducing exposure to, and illness from, silica. While we never disagreed with federal officials' motives, we have long felt that the Obama administration's silica rule would do little to improve workplace health and safety and that better approaches did, and do, exist.

"Moving forward, we will continue to work closely with federal officials to make improvements to this measure and how it is enforced in a way that leads to the meaningful safety and health improvements all of us seek.  And we will continue to provide our members with resources and support as they work to comply with the measure. In particular, we will continue working to stimulate the development of new technology that will enable firms to comply with standards that exceed current technological capacity."

The AGC Safety Management Training Course (SMTC) provides attendees three days of training on the basic skills needed to manage a company safety program in the construction industry. Held just a few times per year at select locations around the country, the SMTC program builds on Focus Four training and prepares attendees to manage key safety issues on the jobsite and provides techniques for delivering basic safety training to field personnel. Participants will receive intensive instruction and training that will allow them to return to their firms with readily applicable new skills to positively impact their company’s safety and health program. Click here for more information.

2018 National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls
May 7-11, 2018
OSHA has announced the dates for this year's Safety Stand Down. This is a voluntary event that encourages employers to have a conversation with their workers about fall hazards and prevention. The week-long event is sponsored by OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and CPWR (The Center for Construction Research and Training).