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On March 22, at the 2024 �۽�ֱ�� Annual Convention in San Diego, California, nearly 60 member companies were recognized across 21 divisional categories in the Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA). The CSEA, sponsored by WTW and Starr Insurance, is the industry’s elite safety excellence awards program. The CSEA recognizes companies that have developed and implemented premier safety and risk control programs and showcases companies that have achieved continuous improvement and maintenance of their safety and health management systems.

As the days grow warmer and longer, excavation activity ramps up. That’s why every year, Congress declares April as National Safe Digging Month. Did you know that there are more than 500 dig-ins to buried utilities and pipelines every day in the U.S.?* That’s more than 500 daily opportunities for serious injuries to workers and communities.

Join organizations and individuals nationwide in spreading awareness for work zone safety starting on April 15, 2024. The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be hosting the kick off event on April 16th with the theme “Work zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.”

All Categories Post Increases Compared to February 2023, Suggesting Monthly Downturn is Due to Temporary Factors Rather than Cooling Demand for Most Types of Construction Projects

In the weeks following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action to lower the primary annual air quality standard by 25 percent for fine particulate matter or PM2.5 (see �۽�ֱ�� article), multiple states have taken legal action and both chambers of Congress have initiated �۽�ֱ��-supported resolutions against the rule.

As set forth in its notice and comment request of February 26, 2024, “Proposed Renewal of the Approval of Information Collection Requirements,” OFCCP seeks to renew and make changes to its construction scheduling letter and itemized listing. These documents are sent to contractors to initiate a construction compliance evaluation and to request relevant information for the evaluation.

Report, Titled “�۽�ֱ�� for All” Catalogues Association’s Accomplishments During the Past Year

On March 12, 2024, a federal judge in Louisiana dismissed on procedural grounds �۽�ֱ�� of America’s lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s regulation requiring project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects of $35 million or more. The decision, however, does not prohibit the association from refiling a lawsuit later.

A new rule from the U.S. Department of Labor is broadly expected to result in more workers being classified as “employees” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Although the final rule faces challenges in court, employers should be prepared for the rule on independent contractor classification to go into effect March 11, 2024. Employers should review their relationships with workers currently classified as independent contractors to determine if they should be re-classified as employees. Misclassification could result in significant liability for unpaid wages (including unpaid overtime), employee benefits, and unpaid employment and other taxes.

�۽�ֱ�� recently submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) proposed rule to “revise the regulations for registered apprenticeship by enhancing worker protections and equity, improving the quality of registered apprenticeship programs, revising the State governance provisions, and more clearly establishing critical pipelines to registered apprenticeship programs, such as registered career and technical education (CTE) apprenticeships.”