The Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas Parker issued the following statement in November 2024 regarding the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: “Today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the rate of recordable workplace injuries and illnesses in 2023 fell to its lowest level since 2003. Private industry nonfatal injuries and illnesses decreased 8.4% from 2022.
“We are encouraged by these significant improvements in injury and illness rates in 2023. Looking at the BLS report and our own recent analysis showing fewer worker deaths in OSHA’s purview, our formula of strong enforcement combined with collaboration between government, labor and the private sector to make workplace safety and health as a core value is making a difference in the lives of America’s workers.
“Despite the progress reported today, OSHA’s work is far from complete. Too many workers are injured or sickened every day in the United States, mostly from preventable incidents. We all must continue our commitment to making sure that every worker is able to go home healthy and whole.
“Safety and health is not a partisan issue, and we hope the strategies associated with these outcomes will continue.”
NRCA designs, develops and delivers safety training and health and management courses and publications to help roofing professionals navigate workplace regulations and compliance. NRCA’s health and safety resources are available at nrca.net/safety/guidelines-resources.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors have cited Fino Exterior Inc., Lake Zurich, Ill., for exposing workers to falls from elevation. This is the eighth time since 2020 the company has been cited, according to OSHA. The company is not an NRCA member.
Inspectors observed employees of Fino Exterior working on top of residential structures without legally required fall-protection equipment on four occasions in 2024. OSHA cited the company for 13 safety violations during three inspections in four months and proposed $262,631 in penalties.
In addition to lack of fall protection, OSHA cited Fino Exterior for permitting employees to work near energized power lines; not providing employees with required hard hats; failing to train workers regarding fall-protection hazards and prevention; lack of eye protection for workers operating pneumatic nail guns; and improper use of ladders.
Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. NRCA’s classes, webinars and products offer information to ensure employees are properly trained and stay safe. Visit shop.nrca.net for more information.
The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has released A Guide to Combatting Harassment in the Construction Industry, which aims to help federal contractors understand what constitutes harassment and provides information to workers who may experience harassment.
To view the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s guides for preventing harassment, click here
DOL’s guide lists various actions that are examples of harassment, including:
The guide also highlights best practices and the effects harassment can have on job-site safety.
In June, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued its own guide of best practices for preventing harassment in construction after conducting a yearlong investigation that concluded construction stands out as an industry with “egregious incidents of harassment.”
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