Flashings

SEIA and GTM Research release solar report

The Solar Energy Industries Association^® (SEIA) and GTM Research released their Solar Market Insight 2014 Year in Review report for the U.S. solar industry. According to the report, there now are 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity nationwide, reportedly enough to power 4 million U.S. homes.

The report indicates 2014 was the biggest year ever for photovoltaic installations with 6,201 megawatts (MW) installed, a 30 percent increase over 2013. Additionally, 32 percent of new electric-generating capacity in the U.S. came from solar.

According to the report, since the solar investment tax credit was passed in 2006, more than 150,000 solar jobs have been created in the U.S., and $66 billion have been invested in solar installations nationwide.

To read a summary of the report, visit www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2014-q4. The full report is available for purchase at www.greentechmedia.com/research/ussmi.

ICC and ASTM International support code use in Middle East

The International Code Council (ICC) and ASTM International have partnered to support the use of codes and standards in sustainable construction in the Middle East. The work is part of The Standards and Codes for Sustainable Construction project and is funded in part through the Market Development Cooperator Program at the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration.

The goal is to enhance the Gulf region's efforts in areas such as energy efficiency, water conservation, materials management, building safety and overall economic growth.

Through 2017, ICC and ASTM International will conduct technical seminars and training programs about sustainable codes and standards; provide information at exhibits and trade shows; and accompany industry officials to standards development and green construction code meetings.

In May, the two organizations will conduct a workshop in Doha, Qatar, during the International Construction Technology and Building Materials Exhibition to provide information about codes and standards; build support for sustainable construction; and show the relationship between manufactured products and codes and standards.

In November, ICC and ASTM International will host a delegation from the Gulf Cooperation Council Standardization Organization that is attending the Greenbuild^® International Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C. The agenda will include outreach sessions, an exhibition visit and meetings with code officials from the area.

As construction activities continue to expand in the Gulf region, ICC and ASTM International will provide support under The Standards and Codes for Sustainable Construction project to help construct safe and sustainable buildings.

OSHA publishes whistleblower-retaliation rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a final rule finalizing procedures for handling whistleblower-retaliation complaints filed under Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002. The act protects employees who report fraudulent activities and violations of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules that can harm investors in publicly traded companies.

"Silencing workers who try to do the right thing is unacceptable," says Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of occupational safety and health. "This final rule safeguards investors by protecting whistleblowers who shine a light on illegal or fraudulent conduct that otherwise may go uncorrected."

The SOX Act prohibits publicly traded companies, nationally recognized statistical ratings organizations and others from retaliating against an employee who provides information the employee "reasonably believes" violates federal mail, wire, bank or securities fraud statutes, SEC rules or any provision of federal law related to fraud against shareholders. Workers can file a claim with OSHA if they believe their employer has retaliated against them for exercising their rights under the SOX Act.

More information is available at www.whistleblowers.gov.

OSHA proposes standards revision

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a proposed revision to its Eye and Face Protection Standards that updates personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements in the agency's general industry, shipyard employment, longshoring, marine terminals and construction standards. The proposed revisions will reflect current national consensus standards and ensure employers use up-to-date eye and face protection during hazardous workplace operations.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) incorporates the most recent American National Standards Institute eye and face protection standard, which was adopted after OSHA issued the final rule regarding PPE in 2009.

Individuals can submit comments about the proposal by visiting www.regulations.gov. The NPRM can be read at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-03-13/html/2015-05521.htm.

IBHS releases report

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) has released the second edition of its Rating the States report. The study assesses the progress of 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast in strengthening their residential building codes since IBHS' original 2012 report.

The second edition of the Rating the States report finds most states with strong building code systems in place at the time of the 2012 report remain committed to building safety; they updated their codes to the latest model code editions or are in the process of doing so and maintained effective enforcement systems. But a number of states took no action to improve their code systems, and a few have weaker systems in place now than in 2012.

Virginia received the highest rating by IBHS in 2012 and 2015, and Delaware was lowest. The full report can be viewed at www.disastersafety.org/wp-content/uploads/IBHS-Rating-the-States-2015.pdf.

Report recommends all workplaces be tobacco-free

A new report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends all workplaces become tobacco-free and employers make tobacco-cessation programs available to workers. NIOSH's recommendations were issued in a technical document called a Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB).

"This Current Intelligence Bulletin marks a half century since the first surgeon general's report on the health consequences of smoking," says NIOSH Director John Howard. "While cigarette smoking in the U.S. has declined more than 50 percent among all U.S. adults since then, about 20 percent of all U.S. workers still smoke and far too many nonsmoking workers are still exposed to secondhand smoke at work. These new recommendations are an important step in reducing the number of workers who still face the risks associated with tobacco while on the job."

The report also is the first from NIOSH that includes recommendations for e-cigarettes. Because of the limited data available regarding the safety of exposure to e-cigarette emissions, NIOSH recommends these products be included in indoor smoking bans.

To read the report, go to www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2015-113.