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Normal OSHA Enforcement Resumes in Most of Gulf Coast
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced last month that it was resuming regular enforcement of job safety and health standards throughout much of the U.S. Gulf Coast area impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
With an effective date of Jan. 25, OSHA announced that normal enforcement would occur throughout Florida and Alabama, in Mississippi north of Interstate 10 and in Louisiana, with the exception of seven parishes in and around New Orleans.
Following last fall’s devastating hurricanes, the agency had exempted a number of counties and parishes in those states from regular enforcement so that OSHA staff could provide faster and more flexible responses to hazards facing workers involved in the cleanup and recovery.
Thousands of crews and individual workers received technical assistance on job safety and health in the aftermath of Katrina. At that time, OSHA limited inspections to cases involving fatalities, catastrophic accidents or complaints.
“We’re now able to resume normal operations in several of the impacted areas where recovery — while still ongoing — has progressed more fully than other areas,” said Jonathan Snare, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA.
In the areas where normal enforcement has yet to be restored, Snare said that OSHA would continue to provide technical assistance to employers and workers by providing advice and information on hazards and the use of personal protective equipment and other safety measures.
For more information on worker safety and health information related to Katrina, click here.
For more information on NAHB resources on construction safety, e-mail Rob Matuga, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8507.
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The “Jobsite Safety Video,” available through BuilderBooks.com, provides an overview of the key safety issues residential builders and workers need to focus on to reduce accidents and injuries. Based on the “NAHB-OSHA Jobsite Safety Handbook,” this DVD is intended to be used as part of an essential residential construction safety-training program and includes two 20-minute videos. To view or purchase this DVD online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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