Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC) , Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2020...
On Sept. 30, 2019, Eugene Scalia was sworn in as the head of the U.S. Department of Labor, which is responsible for oversight and operation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Scalia was a labor attorney and...
After several years of a reduced number of inspections, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration performed more inspections in 2019 than they in any year since 2016. From fiscal year (FY) Oct. 1, 2013 to Sept. 3...
Tools are an absolute necessity in our industry. They can also be the source of dire consequences if used improperly or for the wrong job. However, there are resources and safeguards that can be used to prevent accidents from...
Mobile service employees working on temporary residential and commercial job sites face unique challenges, including airborne toxins (such as mold), driving hazards, vermin, unruly pets and even poisonous animals. Fortunately...
Beginning Oct. 1, 2019 (the beginning of OSHA’s 2020 fiscal year), OSHA will utilize a new weighting system for its inspections. The new OSHA Weighing System (OWS) is designed to replace the former system, which was...
OSHA’s HAZARD COMMUNICATION STANDARD (HCS) is intended to ensure hazards in all chemicals are classified, and that information concerning these hazards is communicated to employers and employees through container labeling...
In 1994, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched its "Focus Four" initiative, targeting the top four safety hazards in construction: falls from heights, electrocution, crushing injuries (such as...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is sometimes thought of as an organization focused on the negative—always looking for what is going wrong in a workplace. But it’s with good reason the organization...
Last week, OSHA announced the availability of $10.5 million in training grants for nonprofit organizations, including employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, state-funded colleges and...
Safety—Then and Now In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed into law the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, a new program that would create regulations to improve safety in the workplace. The Occupational Safety and...
Safety is a critical component of every work environment, especially in the electrical industry. Every year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) most-documented injuries, illnesses and deaths involve...
Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the details of its Sixth Annual National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down. The event, scheduled for the week of May 6–10, is designed to focus...
According to recent testimony by U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace inspections will increase in the future. In 2017 and 2018, OSHA workplace inspections...
Thousands of annual job-related injuries and hundreds of fatalities can be attributed to electrical hazards. Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has regulations in place to prevent these types of...
If the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has its way, construction contractors and subcontractors working for the Department of Defense (DOD) may be subject to more safety performance scrutiny. In February, the GAO...
In November 2018, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published its final rule on "Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Qualifications" (29 CFR 1926.1427(f)(6)). In sum, the new rule requires...
With construction workers three times more likely to be involved in an on-the-job injury or fatality than most other industries, electrical contractors should appreciate the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s...
In August 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its "electronic reporting rule," which mandated that all OSHA-covered work sites with 250 or more employees, as well as work sites with 20 or...
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in a recent news release, falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities in the construction industry. With that in mind, the agency is now making...
