OSHA has issued two revised enforcement policies to ensure employers are taking action to protect their employees.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced May 19 that it has adopted revised policies for enforcing its requirements with respect to the coronavirus as economies reopen in states throughout the country.

Throughout the course of the pandemic, understanding about the transmission and prevention of infection has improved as the government and the private sector have taken measures to slow the virus’s spread, protect employees and adapt to new ways of doing business, OSHA says.

Now, as states begin reopening their economies, OSHA has issued two revised enforcement policies to ensure employers are taking action to protect their employees.

First, OSHA is increasing in-person inspections at many workplaces. The new enforcement guidance reflects changing circumstances in which many non-critical businesses have begun to reopen in areas of lower community spread. The risk of transmission is lower in specific categories of workplaces, and personal protective equipment potentially needed for inspections is more widely available. OSHA staff will continue to prioritize COVID-19 inspections and will use all enforcement tools as OSHA has historically done, the organization says.

Second, OSHA is revising its previous enforcement policy for recording cases of coronavirus. Under OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements, coronavirus is a recordable illness, and employers are responsible for recording cases of the coronavirus, if the case:

Under the new policy, OSHA will enforce the recordkeeping requirements of 29 CFR 1904 for employee coronavirus illnesses for all employers. Given the nature of the disease and community spread, however, in many instances, it remains difficult to determine whether a coronavirus illness is work-related, especially when an employee has experienced potential exposure both in and out of the workplace. OSHA’s guidance emphasizes that employers must make reasonable efforts, based on the evidence available to the employer, to ascertain whether a particular case of coronavirus is work-related.

Recording a coronavirus illness does not mean that the employer has violated any OSHA standard, OSHA says. Following existing regulations, employers with 10 or fewer employees and certain employers in low-hazard industries have no recording obligations—they need only report work-related coronavirus illnesses that result in a fatality or an employee’s in-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye.

This is the first time in WasteExpo’s more than 50-year history that organizers have been forced to cancel the event.

Informa Markets and the Waste360 Group announced May 21 that WasteExpo 2020 has been canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was originally scheduled for May 4-7 in New Orleans and later postponed to Aug. 10-13 because of the virus. This is the first time in WasteExpo’s more than 50-year history that organizers have been forced to cancel the event.

According to organizers, the in-person event will return April 26-29, 2021, in Las Vegas.

The event’s organizers say they experienced strong industry support in the postponement of the event as it moved from May to August; however, it became an increasing safety concern as the COVID-19 situation worsened nationwide, with New Orleans particularly hit hard.

In lieu of the in-person event, Informa and Waste360 announced they will be hosting a digital event, WasteExpo Together Online, Aug. 10-14.

The newly acquired reserves will allow The Sunrock Group to supply high-quality construction aggregates to the greater Toronto area, the company says.

The Sunrock Group, a privately held construction materials supplier headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, recently announced it acquired an existing quarry with 1,400 acres of aggregate reserves in Ontario, Canada, from Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos’ North American business unit, Canada Building Materials.

The newly acquired reserves will allow The Sunrock Group to supply high-quality construction materials to the greater Toronto area, the company says.

The Sunrock Group’s expansion into the Ontario construction materials market will enhance the company’s footprint in North America and help grow the company’s position as a major producer of construction materials in the region, it says.

“The Sunrock Group is looking forward to building a strong Canadian company in the greater Toronto area that is poised to supply high-quality aggregates to construction projects throughout that market,” The Sunrock Group’s chairman and CEO Bryan Pfohl says.

The Sunrock Group says it will do business in Canada through its entity, Sunrock Canada Construction Materials ULC.

Bunting has announced the addition of new electromagnetic products.

Newton, Kansas-based Bunting has announced the addition of several new products to its Elk Grove Village, Illinois location’s online catalog, including N42 and electromagnet products.

“Our new stock of plated N42 neodymium disc magnets gives our customers greater options in selecting the perfect neodymium magnet for their application,” the company says.

The newly added stock of round electromagnets provides an efficient and economical solution for handling ferrous materials and parts safely and securely. They are available in several shapes and sizes and can be used in a variety of manual and automated applications. According to Bunting, the magnets require little maintenance and are 100 percent duty cycle.

Rectangular flat-faced electromagnets also are available on the online catalog and are ideal for achieving maximum holding force on flat, smooth, dry or unpainted surfaces, the company says. These magnets are also ideal for surfaces where the entire face of the magnet comes in direct contact with the product being handled.

Flat-faced electromagnets are designed with a center magnetic pole and use the outer case as the opposite pole, and they concentrate the magnetic force at the center of the magnet to achieve superior holding power.

Ron Cayton, general superintendent of Gaylor Electric, was named the 2020 Craft Professional of the Year.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has announced that Ron Cayton, general superintendent of Gaylor Electric, Charlotte, North Carolina, was named the 2020 Craft Professional of the Year. Cayton will be honored during the Careers in Construction Awards at ABC Convention 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee, on Aug. 19.

ABC presents the annual Craft Professional of the Year award to a construction craft professional who excels in his or her field while also demonstrating a commitment to safety, education and the merit shop philosophy.

“Ron’s level of expertise when it comes to executing large-scale projects with a focus on safety, mentorship, quality and production is unmatched,” says 2020 ABC National Chair Tim Keating, owner and president of R.C. Stevens Construction Co., Winter Garden, Florida. “With more than three decades in the construction field, Ron is consistently raising the bar on excellence in the construction sector and as a seasoned superintendent, clearly inspires his workforce to do the same. It’s an honor to recognize Ron for his contributions to our industry.”

With nearly 35 years of experience in the construction sector, Cayton currently leads a crew of 65 field supervisors and more than 450 electrical craft professionals on a large data center project. In this role, Cayton is responsible for site-specific safety planning, new hire safety orientation and daily toolbox talks. He also helped lead a company-wide safety campaign created to promote safety hazard awareness last year.

According to ABC, Cayton is committed to advancing workforce development and inclusion in construction. He presents to younger generations about careers in construction and mentors those typically underrepresented in the construction workforce. Cayton also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, hurricane relief efforts and local nonprofits, providing pro bono electrical and repair work.