Key Findings from the Report include:

• 325 contract workers died as a result of electrical injury in the U.S. from 2012 to 2016.
• 87% of contract workers who died as a result of electrical injury were wage and salary workers, while the remaining 13% were self-employed.
• 64% of the victims were between the ages of 20 and 44, while another 22% were aged 45 to 54 years.
• 68% of contractors who died as a result of exposure to electricity worked in construction and extraction occupations and another 18% worked in installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.  Workers in building and grounds cleaning and repair occupations accounted for 3% of injury victims.

Key takeaways:

• Fatalities due to direct exposure to electricity indicate that work is being performed on or around energized equipment.
• Many fatalities involve self-employed workers or occur outside the traditional workplace, indicating a need for broader electrical safety education and oversight and innovative approaches to electrical safety training.

See Also: NFPA Report: Non-Fatal Electrical Injuries at Work and NFPA Report: Fatal electrical injuries at work

CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training has recently developed a new website called the Exposure Control Database. This online tool helps construction health and safety practitioners predict worker exposure to four major hazards including silica, noise, welding fumes, and lead based on a combination of work factors like task, tool, and material. This database will be publicly available to everyone free of charge.

We are currently requesting data for silica and noise exposure in the construction industry to help expand our database and improve its predictive power. If you have sampling measurements you would like to share, or if you plan on conducting sampling in the future, please feel free to use the following forms:

• Silica form
• Noise form

If you have any questions, please contact Sara Brooks at (301) 495-8532 or sbrooks@cpwr.com.

Thank you for helping keep workers safe!

In preparation for the multiple tropical storms, typhoons, and hurricanes that are currently active in the Pacific Ocean (Typhoon Mangkhut, Hurricane Olivia, and Tropical Storm Paul) and Atlantic Ocean (Hurricanes Florence, Isaac, and Helene), OSHA reminds everyone of their Hurricane Preparedness and Response Webpage, which outlines several links on preparedness and response and recovery.

OSHA’s Worker Safety and Health Resources for Hurricanes and Flood Cleanup and Recovery website also provides up-to-date listings of OSHA Fact Sheets, QuickCardsTM, and Interagency and OSHA alliance partner publications that will aid in cleanup and recovery operations.

In addition, it is important to prepare your staff on hurricanes and potential flooding that will occur before, during, and after these storms.  Here are somethings that can be done to get ready:

• Know the Risks:  You can search for general information about hurricanes and risks in your area by visiting www.ready.gov and www.nhc.noaa.gov, or other local/national weather applications.
• Get prepared:  As the storm(s) approach, ensure that all employees are aware of accountability systems and how to get in touch with supervisors and/or other employees when disasters affect their area.
• Stay Informed:  Know where to get trusted information during a hurricane and monitor the local news and follow directions of supervisors and local officials.

For additional information on disaster preparedness, check out the NIEHS and CPWR app for emergency response and hazardous waste workers: https://safeconstructionnetwork.org/collaborations/new-niehs-cpwr-app-provides-resources-for-emergency-response-and-hazardous-waste-workers-2/ 

In August, OSHA released updated FAQs and other resources to help employers and workers understand the requirements under the Silica Standard for the Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926.1153).  CPWR has added these materials to the Work Safely with Silica website and planning tool, and updated the tip sheet, “Table 1 – Equipment Names and Best Practice Tips”, as a quick way to see how the information in the new FAQ’s relates to Table 1 and to view the videos.

The new OSHA resources include:

• The updated FAQs, organized by topic
• Six new videos on Controlling Silica Dust for Table 1 Tasks
• A new video “Protecting Workers from Silica Hazards in the Workplace”
• A Sample Training PowerPoint 

Conducting a literature review? Looking for past research on a specific hazard? Before you dig any further, check out CPWR’s collection of Annotated Bibliographies.  Organized by topics such as Asphalt, Falls, Prevention thru Design, and Older Workers, each bibliography provides a comprehensive list and overview of available interdisciplinary research published in that area.

Access the full collection at www.cpwr.com/publications/reports/bibliographies.