Rules + Regs

EPA announces labels for green construction materials

On Aug. 7, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its plan to implement a new label program to help customers identify climate-friendly construction materials for federal building, highway and infrastructure projects, according to an EPA press release.

The program will prioritize asphalt, concrete, glass and steel, and offer a tiered rating system, taking into account the life cycle emissions associated with construction material production. Materials that earn the label will be listed in a public registry.

The agency anticipates labeling requirements for each product type will be periodically reviewed and updated every two to four years to respond to market shifts and help users meet sustainability objectives.

Additionally, the EPA issued supporting documents to help implement the program, including Product Category Rule Criteria, which are guidelines for developing environmental product declarations to communicate environmental effects of products. Other documents outline key remaining data gaps, provide a methodology for assessing life cycle data quality and describe other federal data quality improvement activities.

The documents are available at epa.gov.

Data bulletin shows increase in construction fatalities

A recent data bulletin published by CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training shows 1,092 construction workers died in 2022, which is up 7.6% from 1,015 fatalities in 2021, according to Safety+Health magazine.

This also marks the seventh consecutive year the construction industry experienced more than 1,000 fatalities.

The fatality rate was 9.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2022—an increase from 9.1 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2021 but lower than a high of 9.8 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2012.

CPWR also reported Latino workers accounted for 37.4% of fatalities in 2022, and workers 55 and older accounted for 31.1% of fatalities. Additionally, falls to a lower level caused 36.4% of fatalities in 2022, and vehicular incidents on roadways caused nearly 14% of fatalities. Roofing workers had the highest fatality rate among construction workers at 57.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, followed by “helpers, construction trade” at 38.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.

Contractor faces $161,323 in proposed penalties

Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors have cited Carpenter Contractors of America Inc., Winter Haven, Fla., for again allowing employees to perform roofing work without adequate protection, according to OSHA. The company is not an NRCA member.

OSHA’s inspection at a residential job site in January in Ave Maria, Fla., found Carpenter Contractors of America willfully exposed employees to a 32-foot fall hazard because the company did not require fall-protection equipment for workers securing trusses and roof fascia. The agency has proposed $161,323 in penalties.