New OSHA regulations on reporting workplace deaths, hospitalizations take effect

As of Jan. 1, 2015, all employers under the jurisdiction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are required to report all work-related fatalities within eight hours and all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours of finding out about the incident.

Even employers who are exempt from routinely keeping OSHA records due to company size—such as companies with 10 or fewer employees— must comply with the new reporting guidelines. These firms typically do not have to routinely keep injury and illness records.

Before the new regulations went into effect, employers only had to report all work-related fatalities and hospitalizations of three or more employees involved in the same incident.

There are some circumstances that are exempt from the reporting requirements including:

· Only fatalities occurring within 30 days of the work-related incident must be reported.

· For an inpatient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye, incidents must be reported to OSHA only if they occur within 24 hours of the work-related incident.

· Employers do not have to report an in-patient hospitalization if it was for diagnostic testing or observation only.

(http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/12/31/351332.htm)

Effective January 1, 2022, New York City requires garage owners to retain a specially designated professional engineer to conduct an assessment and file a report at least once every six years. Hoffmann Architects + Engineers offers tips and best practices on how to comply with NYC Local Law 126 parking garage inspection rules.

Mixed-Use | Oct 20, 2022

ROI on resilient multifamily construction can be as high as 72%

A new study that measured the economic value of using FORTIFIED Multifamily, a voluntary beyond-code construction and re-roofing method developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), found the return can be as high as 72%.

Building Team | Oct 18, 2022

Brasfield & Gorrie chairman’s home vandalized by anti-development activists

Activists vandalized the home and vehicles of Miller Gorrie, chairman of Birmingham-based Brasfield & Gorrie, in protest of a planned $90 million, 85-acre police, fire and public safety training center in Atlanta.

Codes and Standards | Oct 17, 2022

Ambitious state EV adoption goals put pressure on multifamily owners to provide chargers

California’s recently announced ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles starting in 2035—and New York’s recent decision to follow suit—are putting pressure on multifamily property owners to install charging stations for tenants.

| Oct 13, 2022

Boston’s proposed net-zero emissions code has developers concerned

Developers have raised serious concerns over a proposed new energy code by the City of Boston that would require newly constructed buildings over 20,000 sf to immediately hit net-zero emissions goals.