Safety Health

Early-Season Heat Puts Focus on Worker Acclimatization Across Construction Sites

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:36:22 -0400

As a heat wave pushes heat index values toward 100°F, contractors say the biggest risk may not be the temperature itself.

Illinois Tollway Worker Dies, Two Others Injured in May 30 Vehicle Crash

manniona@enr.com (Annemarie Mannion) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:38:00 -0400

Workers performing pothole repairs were struck by an SUV early in the morning on Interstate 294 near Des Plaines, Ill.

AGC Survey Spurs Push for Work-Zone Safety Measures in Transportation Bill

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Tue, 26 May 2026 16:30:03 -0400

As Congress weighs the next surface transportation bill, the Associated General Contractors of America is pushing stronger work-zone safety requirements after contractors reported persistent crashes and project disruptions.

More Repair Set for LaGuardia Airport Runway-Area Sinkhole That Has Delayed Flights

jriceenr@gmail.com (Justin Rice) — Fri, 22 May 2026 17:32:26 -0400

Runway 4-22 would be kept closed until the morning of May 23, officials said.

New York’s Scaffold Law is Breaking the System it Was Meant to Protect

Fri, 22 May 2026 16:08:09 -0400

An argument that worker protection and shared responsibility are not competing ideas.

DC Agency Chief Defends Pre-Sewage Spill Maintenance, But System Repair Is Far from Over

Fri, 22 May 2026 15:50:00 -0400

DC Water CEO David Gadis cited long-term access easements, standardized permitting timelines and better regulator field coordination "to prevent a recurrence of the failure," but one stakeholder lamented there was no conclusive spill cause or 'clear plan' to avoid future ones.

Second Piece of Debris Falls Near New York City's George Washington Bridge

jriceenr@gmail.com (Justin Rice) — Wed, 13 May 2026 15:19:34 -0400

One person was injured after debris fell from a bridge ceiling in Manhattan, hitting a motorist's cari in a westbound lane.

EPA 'Forever Chemicals' Guidance Highlights Areas Where More Research Is Needed

mcfarlandp@enr.com (Pam McFarland) — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:40:00 -0400

EPA's interim guidance on best practices to dispose of and destroy “forever” chemicals highlights widely used technologies, but others need further study.

FEMA Report Steps Up Push to Put States in Driver’s Seat of Disaster Recovery

Tue, 12 May 2026 14:13:05 -0400

Trump administration long-awaited final report on agency reforms, which aims to have states take lead in disaster recovery while tapping federal resources for support, comes as latest agency chief is fired

Feds Propose Framework to Push Nuclear Microreactor Deployment

rubind@enr.com (Debra K. Rubin) — Thu, 07 May 2026 14:45:00 -0400

Published May 1 in the Federal Register with a 42-day comment, the proposed Part 57 rule outlines a “streamlined, risk-informed and flexible licensing pathway” NRC claims could save up to $11.8 billion and shorten construction permit and operating license timelines to one year or less.

Maryland Touts Work Zone Safety Improvements But Challenges Remain

Mon, 04 May 2026 10:06:58 -0400

Maryland has relied on awareness campaigns to protect workers on highway projects.

Report Highlights Jobsite Heat Risks as OSHA Extends Guidelines Another Five Years

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:37:23 -0400

"Emphasis program" for outdoor and indoor heat hazards in effect now until 2031, but advocates warn of reduced workplace safety enforcement by Trump administration.

EPA Acknowledges Superfund Sites at Risk From Extreme Weather

mcfarlandp@enr.com (Pam McFarland) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:14:25 -0400

Studies sound the alarm over the risks Superfund sites face due to a variety of factors related to climate change, such as inland flooding and wildfires.

Worker Death Prompts OSHA Safety Probe on Texas ICE Megaproject

kongv@enr.com (Vince Kong) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:01:36 -0400

What happened inside the rush to build one of the nation's largest ICE detention facilities is now drawing federal attention.

EPA Proposes to Ease Coal Ash Waste Storage and Reuse Rules

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:33:27 -0400

Changes aim to curtail scope of legacy ash storage site cleanups, allow states to set more site-specific standards and alter rules for “beneficial" use in manufacturing materials such as cement and drywall.

Iron Workers' Bodies Recovered After Partial Philadelphia Parking Garage Collapse

jriceenr@gmail.com (Justin Rice) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:40:57 -0400

Three workers were ID'ed by city-based Ironworkers union as members Stepan Shevchuk, the first to be found, and Matthew Kane and Mark Scott Jr., who were discovered early on April 13.

Partially Collapsed Philadelphia Parking Garage Leaves at Least One Worker Dead

jriceenr@gmail.com (Justin Rice) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:05:06 -0400

The unfinished garage being built for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is being demolished, following a consultation with structural engineers.

Ford Motor, NJ Town Agree to $3.4M Added Superfund Site Cleanup

rubind@enr.com (Debra K. Rubin) — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:11:00 -0400

Former plant dump site in Ringwood was deemed safe after a $21.2M cleanup ordered in 2020, but a New York University study last year said it remained a public health risk.

Two Arrested After 438 lbs of Explosives Stolen from Louisville Job Site

manniona@enr.com (Annemarie Mannion) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:48:03 -0400

The explosives were stolen from a construction site where land is being cleared for a townhouse complex.

Construction Worker Dies in Fall at $300M Wichita Biomedical Campus Jobsite

manniona@enr.com (Annemarie Mannion) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:54:06 -0400

David Rodriguez, 45, who was employed by Midwest Drywall, died Mar. 30 after falling about 60 ft from scaffolding on the downtown project, with investigations of the accident underway.

Massachusetts Contractor Faces $4.6M Fine After Fatal Trench Collapse

jriceenr@gmail.com (Justin Rice) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:00:00 -0400

Revoli Construction was cited for seven willful violations, 33 repeat violations and 17 serious violations after fatal Yarmouth, Mass., cave-in, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

How Plans for Safety Week 2026 Came Together

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:29:34 -0400

“To me, it's about saving lives,” says Gilbane CEO Adam R. Jelen, a 33-year construction veteran who leads the 2026 event, set for May 4-8.

Investigation Plumbs Causes of Fatal 2025 Landslide on Norway Jobsite

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:15:49 -0400

The collapse of a hillside on a railway project in Norway last year killed one worker and raises questions about monitoring of ground conditions during deep soil mixing.

States Ramp Up Lawsuits in Backlash to Feds' Warehouse Mass Detention Facilities

mcfarlandp@enr.com (Pam McFarland) — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 13:25:00 -0400

Maryland seeks emergency federal court ruling to stop DHS conversion of a purchased 825,000-sq-ft warehouse in small state town into a detention center for 1,500 or more

UPDATED Mideast Construction Projects Halted as Owners, Industry Firms Steel for Impacts of War

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:40:00 -0500

The escalating regional conflict has already slowed or paused numerous energy and infrastructure projects in the region, but global construction firms are mum on the extent of damage, work shutdowns or supply chain interruptions.

$668M Settlement Advances Cleanup of Seattle’s Lower Duwamish Waterway

gottliebb@enr.com (Bryan Gottlieb) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:18:39 -0500

The settlement resolves funding sources for the continued dredging, sediment capping and long-term remediation along the city’s industrial river corridor, a declared Superfund site.

Iron Workers' IMPACT Conference Sees Mass Timber, Nuclear Energy Job Growth

mcfarlandp@enr.com (Pam McFarland) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:09:00 -0500

Leaders of the union and its contractors group plan to boost organizing and use of AI, while seeking growth in emerging North American construction sectors.

Excavator Incident Halts Pennsylvania Demolition Project

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:18:07 -0500

Machine that tumbled into excavated pit March 3 during demolition of a county government office building complex in Washington, Pa., near Pittsburgh, left the operator apparently unhurt, say published reports.

How ENR Suicide Prevention and Safety Coverage Evolves

kormanr@enr.com (Richard Korman) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

What does firearms access have to do with construction workforce safety?

How to Ask Potential Suicide Victims to Lock or Store Their Guns

kormanr@enr.com (Richard Korman) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:40:00 -0500

Why tight schedules, long shifts, fatigue and other risks combine with firearms access to increase the chance for a fatal suicide attempt.