Author: Nazia Shah
OSHA’s revised heat National Emphasis Program – Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards was issued on April 10, 2026, and replaced the previous enforcement policy originally issued on April 8, 2022. While the agency describes the latest version as revised, it remains largely unchanged from the 2022 version. The current NEP will be in effect for five (5) years from the date of publication and, unlike the 2022 NEP, OSHA regions are not expected to reach any inspection targets. Many of the revisions are related to formatting and rearranging sections. For instance, the criteria that a Compliance Safety and Health Officer…
AGC of America is now accepting speaking proposals for its Winter 2027 Construction Safety & Health Conference taking place January 20-22, 2027, in San Diego, CA. This event is designed for emerging to senior-level management professionals who work in any of the commercial construction markets. All educational sessions should be targeted towards these attendees and should involve topics that reflect current and emerging issues in construction safety and health. We invite you to share your knowledge and help us shape the Winter 2027 experience. For more information and to submit a proposal, please refer to the event guidelines. Proposals should be submitted no later than August 14,…
As we enter the 2026 hurricane season, we want to highlight several important resources from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to support your efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from hurricanes and related weather events. Early preparation is essential to ensuring that employers and workers have the right equipment, understand emergency procedures, and know how to stay safe during severe weather events. OSHA’s Emergency Preparedness and Response webpages offer guidance on planning and training for emergencies, as well as information on hazards that may arise during such events. These resources are designed for workers and employers…
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued notification of no inflation adjustment to U.S. Department of Labor civil monetary penalties for 2026, including those for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In 2015, Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act to advance the effectiveness of civil monetary penalties and to maintain their deterrent effect. Under the Act, agencies are required to publish “catch-up” rules that adjust the level of civil monetary penalties and make subsequent annual adjustments for inflation no later than January 15 of each year. For 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor is…
The National AGC Safety Awards (NASA) program has been an ongoing effort since 1991, offering member companies an opportunity to evaluate their safety records. NASA compares an AGC member’s safety performance with that of other AGC members, based on company size and construction type. In the most recent award cycle, for the calendar year 2025, more than 1,500 members submitted their safety data across 63 chapters. In addition to recognizing member achievements, the AGC Chapter Safety Awards highlight the outstanding efforts of chapters based on a weighted average of member participation and overall incident rates. Congratulations to this year’s AGC Chapter Safety Award winners! Less than 125…
Join us on June 3, 2-3 p.m. Eastern for the next virtual quarterly town hall. This session will feature an update on the status of OSHA’s proposed federal heat standard, an overview of OSHA’s revised Heat NEP, recent enforcement trends, and emerging state initiatives. It will also include a discussion on heat safety programs from Kwest Group and Helix Electric. Speakers 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…
Construction safety leadership isn’t only about preventing incidents, it’s also about controlling the exposures that impact worker health. AGC’s Health Hazards in Construction (HHC) is a four‑day, in‑person course designed to build practical industrial hygiene (IH) skills for construction. You’ll learn how to identify, evaluate, and control workplace health hazards, including exposure to chemicals, noise, dust, heat stress, and more—so you can better manage and coordinate IH services. Key Takeaways Course Details HHC is one of four courses in AGC’s Construction Safety Management Certificate (CSMC), a credential that goes beyond basic compliance and signals safety leadership.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) met March 31 and April 1, 2026, to review several proposed OSHA rulemaking actions that could affect construction employers. During the two-day virtual meeting, OSHA staff presented a series of deregulatory proposals aimed at reducing regulatory burden while maintaining worker protections, and ACCSH members discussed and voted on recommendations to provide to the Agency. Among the most significant proposals for the construction industry is OSHA’s plan to remove the requirement for medical evaluations before employees use filtering facepiece respirators (such as N95s) and loose-fitting powered…
The time has come to make sure your team (and you) are up to date on the latest developments in construction safety. Safety moves fast, so do we. The agenda for the Summer 2026 Construction Safety & Health Conference has been released, providing timely content for meaningful engagement and learning. Here are the daily highlights: Things don’t end Friday either, with the unique 3M Experience blending learning with a night to remember (innovation center tour, Saint Paul Saints baseball game). This is a free addition with registration, as long as you opt-in while tickets last. Take a look at all…
OSHA has launched the Safety Shout-Out Challenge as part of its annual Safe + Sound campaign, encouraging workers to recognize coworkers for safe actions on the job. Using printable “Safety Shout-Out” cards, employees can acknowledge behaviors such as reporting near misses, conducting thorough safety inspections, helping others work safely, modeling safe work practices, etc. OSHA says peer-to-peer recognition can increase awareness of safe behaviors, provide immediate positive feedback, strengthen teamwork, and encourage conversations about safety. For employers, the challenge offers a simple way to reinforce a positive safety culture and engage workers through toolbox talks, safety meetings, and internal communications.…