Department of Labor to Restructure OSHA Regional Operations

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The Department of Labor has announced strategic changes to the structure of its Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s regional operations designed to direct its resources effectively and make the agency more resilient. The changes include the creation of a new OSHA regional office in Birmingham, Alabama, overseeing agency operations in the state, and those in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, as well as the Florida Panhandle. The Birmingham Region will address the area’s growing worker population and the hazardous work done by people employed in food processing, construction, heavy manufacturing and chemical processing. OSHA is also planning to merge Regions 9 and 10 into a new San Francisco Region to improve operations and reduce … Read more

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U.S. Department of Labor Initiatives Promote ‘Safety’ of Industry Workers’ Wages, Employer Compliance

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With many projects supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gaining speed across the nation as temperatures rise and the ground softens, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is showing its commitment to ensuring the safety of workers’ wages during the annual celebration of National Construction Safety Week, May 2-6. The organization announced new compliance assistance materials, including a toolkit in both English and Spanish languages, specifically to help construction workers understand their rights and inform employers about their legal obligations. In addition, the division has launched a webpage to help construction employees and employers understand Davis-Bacon Act … Read more

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U.S. Department of Labor Posts New FAQs, Videos on OSHA Standard for Controlling Silica in Construction

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has made available online new frequently asked questions and training videos on the agency’s standard for respirable crystalline silica in construction. Developed by OSHA in cooperation with industry and labor organizations, the FAQs provide employers and workers with guidance on the standard’s requirements. In addition, a series of six new videos instruct users on methods for controlling exposure to silica dust when performing common construction tasks, or using construction equipment. The videos cover topics including handheld power saws, jackhammers, drills and grinders. Visit OSHA’s silica standard for … Read more

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OFCCP Announces Mega Construction Project Program

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The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is announcing a significant expansion of its Mega Construction Project Program to ensure that federal construction contractors and subcontractors—companies that receive taxpayers’ dollars to construct buildings, highways and other federally funded or federally assisted projects—make job opportunities in the construction trades available to applicants and employees regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. For the first time, OFCCP is making strategic investment of agency resources at all levels (national and regional) to ensure that the nation’s largest construction projects … Read more

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