Safety

  • A construction worker walks with a hammer over his shoulder.
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    Mark Makela/Stringer via Getty Images
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    Construction’s language disconnect creates safety risk

    A lack of resources for a large Spanish-speaking workforce raises safety concerns and holds back talented workers. Contractors are beginning to make a change.

    By • Aug. 28, 2025
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    peeterv via Getty Images
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    Workers sue 2 contractors over Legionnaires’ outbreak in NYC

    Two construction workers filed suit against Skanska and Rising Sun Construction, alleging they failed to abate the deadly bacteria on jobsites in Harlem.

    By • Aug. 25, 2025
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    Courtesy of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
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    Kentucky launches work zone speed cameras

    After more than 1,200 road work crashes in 2024, the state has created a system for fining motorists speeding near active jobsites.

    By • Aug. 21, 2025
  • A construction worker sits sadly on a jobsite.
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    interstid via Getty Images
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    Be ‘in tune’ with workers to assess their well-being, presenters say

    It’s critical to know employees in order to spot warning signs when one is struggling with mental health issues, said presenters at the ASSP Conference + Expo last month.

    By • Aug. 7, 2025
  • An aerial view shows the only entrance to a wastewater tunnel in Los Angeles that partially collapsed.
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    Jae C. Hong/AP

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    LA tunnel work remains halted after partial collapse

    The July 9 breach was linked to high ground pressure, but the investigation into the Clearwater Project incident is ongoing, according to the local sanitation authority.

    By • July 29, 2025
  • A model in high visibility work gear poses on a catwalk.
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    Zachary Phillips/Construction Dive

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    PPE ‘fashion show’ highlights need for a safe fit for women

    With a relatively new OSHA standard, contractors need to review and ensure they have the proper gear for all of their workers, said panelists at a recent conference.

    By • July 29, 2025
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    Zachary Phillips/Construction Dive.

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    5 eye-catching safety products from the ASSP conference

    From exoskeletons to new fall protection, here’s a look at the gear that was on display at the Orlando, Florida, event last week.

    By • Updated July 29, 2025
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    4nadia via Getty Images
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    Pennsylvania lawmakers designate Construction Opioid Awareness Week

    State senators cast light on the building sector’s ongoing struggle against substance abuse via a campaign during the height of summer construction season.

    By • July 24, 2025
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    JHVEPhoto via Getty Images
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    Former Amazon exec, Biden official talk OSHA changes

    Corporate safety attorney Heather MacDougall and the former deputy assistant secretary of OSHA offered details at the recent ASSP 2025 Conference + Expo.

    By • July 24, 2025
  • Two women post for a photograph together wearing personal protective equipment.
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    Permission granted by ARX
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    Why a women-owned firm developed PPE for women

    ARX’s leaders say they leaned on their own experiences and researched how women wear and use gear to create better products.

    By • July 17, 2025
  • An employee collects money while holding packages of marijuana
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    David Ryder via Getty Images
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    Nearly 9% of younger workers use alcohol or drugs at work, study shows

    Substance use occurs more often in blue-collar and service industry jobs, but comprehensive policies and supportive interventions can help, researchers said.

    By Carolyn Crist • July 17, 2025
  • A blue clipboard with a white paper that says "OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration," and protective gear lying above it.
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    designer491 for iStock via Getty Images
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    How a SeaWorld ruling could impact construction safety

    OSHA wants to narrow its General Duties Clause for athletic and entertainment occupations, leaving the door open for other industries.

    By • July 16, 2025
  • Construction worker pushes water cart to worksite during heat wave
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How to protect employees from heat and other climate extremes

    Basics like shade, water and rest can help, but companies should involve workers in the planning process, experts say.

    By Ryan Golden • July 15, 2025
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    Permission granted by Malta Dynamics
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    Sponsored by Malta Dynamics

    Why fall protection rentals are on the rise in construction — and what smart contractors are gaining from it

    Flexible fall protection rentals for every jobsite.

    July 14, 2025
  • An artist's rendering of 3D shapes with AI, signifying a creative display of technology.
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    BlackJack3D via Getty Images
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    Amid the hype, contractors find practical safety uses for AI

    Construction pros sort through a flood of information about artificial intelligence to find the applications that make sense for their firms.

    By • July 2, 2025
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    OSHA hearings hint at revised heat rule

    Though many expected the Trump administration to kill the proposed regulation, the agency may simply tone it down to a more performance-based standard, experts say.

    By • June 26, 2025
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    JayLazarin via Getty Images
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    Contractors back New York’s Scaffold Law update

    Liability insurance premiums in New York generally run about 30% higher than in other states due to the legislation, builders say.

    By • June 26, 2025
  • A construction worker in a white hard hat and yellow reflective vest wipes sweat from his face.
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    Eric Kayne via Getty Images
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    Climate change will cost your healthcare plan. Analysts want to know how much.

    Extreme weather, rising temperatures and increased air pollution all threaten employee health — but executives and finance teams may not be paying attention.

    By Ryan Golden • June 12, 2025
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    OSHA’s proposed cuts won’t affect enforcement: DOL chief

    A smaller budget will “modernize and streamline” the department, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a recent House committee hearing.

    By • June 12, 2025
  • An individual, wearing a yellow safety vest, ascends an escalator.
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    John Moore / Staff via Getty Images
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    Workplace injuries are declining, but costs are climbing, Travelers report finds

    Increasing retirement ages, ongoing turnover and longer injury recovery times have contributed to the cost hikes, an executive for the firm said.

    By Laurel Kalser • June 12, 2025
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    Permission granted by LeChase Construction Services, LLC via National Center for Construction Education and Research
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    Sponsored by National Center for Construction Education and Research

    Building a better workforce: What’s actually working in construction training

    Contractors are closing the skills gap with smarter training. Here’s what they’re doing.

    June 9, 2025
  • An aerial view of a group of construction workers looking at plans.
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    Akarawut Lohacharoenvanich via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Safety expert calls for more risk assessment during design

    Professor Georgi Popov said safety assessment is typically done during the operational phase of projects, but that is changing.

    By • May 29, 2025
  • A construction worker holds a stop sign in a road work zone.
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    Adventure_Photo via Getty Images
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    3 in 5 road builders experienced a work zone crash in last year

    Contractors believe more can be done to protect workers and motorists alike, with 47% of respondents to an AGC survey saying jobsites are a greater risk now than a year ago.

    By • May 28, 2025
  • construction workers toil with the sunset in the background
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    sculpies via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Take breaks, buddy up: Tips for beating the heat

    Ventilated hard hats, “heat buddies” and electrolyte drinks are just a few of the ways that Curran Young Construction helps keep workers cool.

    By • May 22, 2025
  • Two construction workers wear respirators on a jobsite.
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    coffeekai via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Worker safety is in jeopardy if we don’t protect NIOSH

    The agency that has been gutted by recent federal cuts provides the construction industry with vital support, writes a community health professor.

    By Sandra J. Domeracki • May 21, 2025