OSHA News Blog | The OSHA Updater

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has everybody scrambling to get HAZWOPER certified and start helping out. Volunteers are required, based on their proximity to the hazardous materials, to be either 8, 24, or 40 hour HAZWOPER certified or First Responder trained.

Easy Safety School has teamed up with local and national organizations to bring you affordable HAZWOPER 8, 24 and 40 hour training courses online. By grouping together, we can get HAZWOPER prices down to an all time low. This is just one other way for us to all come together and fight this global disaster. For information regarding Gulf of Mexico Clean-up HAZWOPER Training please visit Easy Safety School's website at easysafetyschool.com.

Together we can clean up our oceans, and protect this planet and it's living creatures.

OSHA is allowing individuals to be nominated to join the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health.  These individuals will help develop health and safety standards that affect the entire construction community.  Nominees are expected to have experience and expertise in areas relating to health and safety in the workplace.  I have attached the official DOL/OSHA press release below.

WASHINGTON — OSHA is accepting nominations for individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH). The group advises the Secretary of Labor on developing safety and health standards and policies that affect the safety and health of construction workers and the construction industry.

Established as a continuing advisory committee under the Construction Safety Act of 1969, ACCSH and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA have consulted for nearly 40 years on construction safety issues such as women in construction, recordkeeping, crane safety, and safety and health resources for Latino construction workers.

OSHA is seeking nominees with experience and expertise in construction-related safety and health issues to fill two employee, two employer, one state safety and health agency, and two public representative vacancies. All 15 members serve two year terms, except the representative designated by the Department of Health and Human Services and appointed by the Secretary of Labor, who serves indefinitely. ACCSH meets two to four times a year.

Nominations may be submitted at www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal. If submitting nominations by mail, send to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2010-0005, U.S. Department of Labor, N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20210. Nominations not exceeding 10 pages may be faxed to 202-693-1648. The deadline for submissions is June 14, 2010.

General inquiries should be directed to Michael Buchet, OSHA Office of Construction Services, at 202-693-2020. Press inquiries should be directed to Jennifer Ashley, OSHA Office of Communications, at 202-693-1999.

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 assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

OSHA is planning to team up with local building inspectors in 11 US cities in an effort to reduce construction related injuries and hazards. This boost of job site inspection and code enforcement should help OSHA to more efficiently and accurately monitor public job sites. I have attached the official OSHA press release below.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is launching a pilot program seeking to partner with building inspectors in 11 American cities to reduce injuries and fatalities at construction sites.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis has sent letters to the mayors of the selected cities*, proposing that OSHA work with and train local building inspectors on hazards associated with the four leading causes of death at construction sites. Under this program, building inspectors would notify OSHA when they observe, during the course of their work, unsafe work conditions. OSHA, in turn, would send a federal agency compliance officer to that workplace for a safety inspection.

In construction, the four leading causes of death are falls, electrocution, being crushed or caught between objects, or being struck by moving machinery or objects.

In her letters, Secretary Solis wrote, "I believe workplace enforcement is not only our responsibility but our moral obligation. We need your help to send our inspectors where they can make the biggest difference."

"This initiative allows us to expand our eyes and ears," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. "Although we are adding 110 new inspectors this year, OSHA simply cannot inspect every construction site in the country."

OSHA seeks to partner with building inspectors in the following cities:
Austin, Texas

Boise, Idaho

Cincinnati, Ohio

Concord, N.H.

Greenwood Village, Colo.

Madison, Miss. Atlanta Metropolitan area, Ga.

Newark, N.J.

Oakland, Calif.

Washington, D.C.

Wichita, Kan.


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 assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.