Flashings

OSHA announces record-keeping rule

On Aug. 2, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a rule that requires all federal agencies to submit their OSHA-required injury and illness data to the Bureau of Labor Statistics every year.

Instituting the new rule will allow OSHA to analyze the injuries and illnesses that occur to federal agency workers and help develop training and inspection programs to respond to the identified hazards.

"This change provides OSHA an opportunity to collect injury and illness data from all federal agency establishments," says David Michaels, OSHA's assistant secretary of labor. "The data will help us streamline and improve programs to reduce occupational hazards and prevent injuries, illnesses and deaths within the federal workforce."

OSHA will use the data to improve programs under the Protecting Our Workers and Ensuring Reemployment initiative established by President Obama to extend prior federal government workplace safety and health efforts through aggressive performance targets, encouraging the collection of injury and illness data, and prioritizing safety and health management programs.

The new record-keeping rule includes amending the date agencies must submit their annual reports to the secretary of labor and the date the secretary must submit a report to the president. The new rule also restates volunteers are considered employees of federal agencies and explains how volunteers' injuries should be recorded in agency injury and illness logs. It also clarifies the definition of federal establishment and explains when contract employees should be included on an agency's log.

More information about the rule is available at www.federalregister.gov.

Tecta America is sold

Tecta America Corp., Skokie, Ill., completed the sale of its company to Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management LLC July 1.

Following the transaction, Brynne Smith, chief executive officer for Tecta America, no longer is with the company. Former NRCA President Mark Gaulin, Tecta America's former chief operating officer, will act as Tecta America's interim chief operating officer.

OSHA withdraws proposed rule

OSHA has announced it withdrew a proposed rule to amend its regulations to the On-Site Consultation Program. The decision was made after stakeholders raised concerns the proposed changes would discourage employers from participating in the program.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for 29 CFR 1908, "Consultation Agreement," published Sept. 3, 2010, clarified the exemption period provided to "recognized" sites that have been removed from OSHA's programmed inspection schedule and the initiation of certain unprogrammed inspections at sites that have achieved recognition and sites undergoing a consultation visit.

"The On-Site Consultation Program, including recognition through the Safety and Health Recognition Program, is a valuable way to assist small-business employers who are working to improve their workplaces," says David Michaels, OSHA's assistant secretary of labor. "We remain committed to encouraging participation in this program."

More information about the withdrawal can be found at www.federalregister.gov.

Infographic addresses asphalt shingle waste

Source: American Custom Contractors Inc., Rockville, Md.