Author: Nazia Shah
On January 21, AGC of America, at their semi-annual Construction Safety & Health Conference, recognized three members for their decades-long contribution to the safety and health profession, the association, and its safety and health committee. Kevin Moorhead, Safety Director at The Korte Company, was presented with the Outstanding Service and Dedication to Safety and Health award by his close friend and peer Tim Stout, Corporate Safety Director at Caddell Construction. “This individual has worked with The Korte Company based out of Highland, Illinois for the past 37 years. He became the Safety Director for Korte in 1992. For the past…
On March 4, AGC hosted its first virtual, quarterly, Safety & Health Town Hall of 2026. The session was focused on work zone safety ahead of National Work Zone Awareness Week – April 20-24. View the Recording | Download the Slides The purpose of AGC’s Safety & Health Town Halls is to communicate key safety and health issues and challenges, as well as discuss enforcement, regulatory, and outreach activities at the national and local levels. Looking Ahead – 2026 AGC Safety & Health Town Hall Schedule (click on the links to register) Contact Nazia Shah for more information.
On February 19, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Census of Fatal Occupational Injury (CFOI) data for 2024. The construction-specific data shows that fatalities in the construction industry declined from 1,075 in 2023 to 1,034 in 2024, a drop of nearly 4%. The fatal injury incidence rate also declined from 9.6 per 100,000 workers in 2023 to 9.2 in 2024. These are particularly encouraging trends considering the increase in employment and the retirement of large numbers of experienced workers. Falls, slips, and trips, which have historically been the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry also declined from…
In addition to the outstanding, contractor-focused content delivered at the January 2026 AGC Surety Bonding and Construction Risk Management Conference, AGC also provided two recordings of bonus content. One recording – Avoiding Death by a Thousand Claims: How Small Losses Can Bankrupt Projects – offered proactive strategies to address “nuisance” losses like theft, temporary power failures, water intrusions, or weather-damaged materials, which can erode profitability over time. The second recording – Demystifying Weather Risk for Construction – discussed how parametric weather insurance can offer crucial financial support, filling important gaps left by traditional policies that often don’t cover the everyday weather impacts that delay projects, such as heavy…
Safety and health remains the foundation of every successful construction operation and this year’s AGC Annual Convention delivers a robust lineup of Safety & Health programming designed to equip attendees with practical strategies, fresh perspectives, and forward-thinking tools. A cornerstone of the Convention is the Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA) program, sponsored by WTW | Willis and Starr. Throughout the event, members can observe the judging process and hear directly from top-performing contractors as they present their award-winning safety and health programs. These presentations offer a valuable opportunity to learn what the industry’s “best of the best” are doing to…
Confined spaces. Falls from height. Electrical work. Crane operations. Excavations. Some construction activities carry inherently higher risks, and managing safety on these projects requires specialized knowledge beyond basic OSHA compliance. AGC’s Focused Topics in Construction (FTC) provides four intensive days of training on managing and mitigating risks associated with construction’s most dangerous operations. Here’s what you’ll learn: Who should attend? Safety managers, project managers, and safety professionals responsible for high-risk construction operations. Complete all four Construction Safety Management Courses to earn your certificate and demonstrate your commitment to safety excellence. I WANT TO BE A LEADER IN SAFETY Contact Nazia…
Join us on March 4, 2 PM – 3 PM Eastern for the next virtual quarterly town hall. This session will focus on work zone safety, ahead of National Work Zone Awareness Week – April 20-24. Learn More and Register The purpose of AGC’s Safety & Health Town Halls is to communicate key safety and health issues and challenges, as well as discuss enforcement, regulatory, and outreach activities at the national and local levels. Looking Ahead – 2026 AGC Safety & Health Town Hall Schedule Contact Nazia Shah for more information.
As part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s efforts to keep stakeholders informed of its activities, below is a summary of key national initiatives and agency priorities, as well as a calendar of upcoming events for FY 2026. Please note – as we receive new/updated information about events, we will share it with you. I. National Initiatives OSHA will support the following national outreach initiatives in FY 2026: OSHA’s ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign raises awareness of the danger of falls in construction and other industries. The annual National Safety Stand Down encourages employers to set aside time during the week…
OSHA has issued new guidance clarifying that injuries involving personal rechargeable lithium-ion batteries contained within e-cigarettes are generally recordable if they occur in the workplace and meet OSHA’s injury and illness recording criteria. In a January 20, 2026 letter of interpretation, followed by a February 9, 2026 trade release, OSHA explained that a battery fire or thermal event occurring during assigned work hours is presumed work-related, even if the battery is personally owned or brought from home. OSHA further clarified that employee fault or unsafe personal behavior does not affect recordability, and none of the standard work-relatedness exceptions apply. If…
On January 14, during AGC’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Forum, representatives from the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), Construction Suicide Prevention Week (CSPW), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Hard Hat Courage program, and the National Safety Council (NSC) Workplace Wellbeing Hub shared practical mental health and suicide prevention strategies tailored to the construction workforce. Participants also learned how to leverage national tools, campaigns, and partnerships to strengthen existing efforts or launch new initiatives that improve psychological safety and wellbeing across jobsites and organizations. Access slides and recording. The AGC Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Forum…