WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is encouraging construction employers and workers nationwide to participate in the 13th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, taking place May 4-8, 2026.

The nationwide event focuses on preventing falls, the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry, and reinforces the importance of planning, training, and hazard awareness to protect workers.

Because falls continue to pose a significant risk in construction, OSHA is making prevention a top priority. Through efforts like the Safety Stand-Down, the agency is working to drive real change and emphasizing that lasting progress is achieved through employers, workers, and industry partners working together.

OSHA encourages employers to pause work throughout the week and engage employees in safety activities, such as fall prevention training, hazard recognition exercises, safety demonstrations, and toolbox talks. Employers are also urged to address job-specific risks, including those associated with roofing, ladder use, and scaffolding.

Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health David Keeling will participate in the Stand-Down during an event at the Henry Bacon Ball Field on the National Mall, where multiple construction and infrastructure projects are underway. OSHA staff will also participate in Stand-Down events across the country. 

OSHA will publish a list of free, public events on its website to help employers and workers identify opportunities to participate locally. The Stand-Down is open to organizations of all sizes and industries, with an emphasis on collaboration and shared responsibility for workplace safety.

The National Safety Stand-Down is a key component of OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign and is conducted in partnership with The Center for Construction Research and Training, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the NORA Construction Sector Council. The initiative also aligns with Construction Safety Week and supports industry-wide efforts to prevent serious injuries and fatalities. Construction Safety Week’s “All in Together” campaign reinforces a unified industry commitment to preventing serious injuries and fatalities through its focus on “Recognize, Respond, and Respect.” 

Building on this shared mission, OSHA will sign a new alliance with Construction Safety Week to help strengthen a collective commitment to prevent serious incidents and fatalities and advance total worker health across the full construction project life cycle, engaging all industry stakeholders.

Since its launch in 2012, the fall prevention campaign has helped train millions of workers in fall prevention, contributing to increased awareness and stronger safety practices across the construction industry. Participants are encouraged to share their Stand-Down activities using #StandDown4Safety, provide feedback, and obtain a certificate of participation.

Explore OSHA’s Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction webpage to find more information on the National Safety Stand-Down and fall prevention resources. 

WASHINGTON − The U.S. Department of Labor today announced it will host a two-day online forum to provide meaningful compliance assistance related to federal laws governing wages, safety, and other workplace issues. 

The Protecting America’s Workforce forum will begin with opening remarks from Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling and proceed to panel discussions and presentations with representatives from the department’s Wage and Hour Division, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. 

In addition, enforcement and compliance representatives from the Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will participate.

“Workers and businesses deserve clear, practical guidance on compliance with the laws enforced by the Department of Labor,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “We are proud to collaborate with our partners across the federal government to provide a platform for expert-level presentations designed to foster improvements to workplaces across America.” 

The event, which will be held May 6-7, will provide valuable information on various workplace topics such as the department’s self-audit programs, OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention campaign, the relaunch of the department’s opinion letters program, veterans’ employment rights, child labor laws, government contract prevailing wage requirements, and Registered Apprenticeships.

Forum attendance is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Once registered, additional information, including links to sessions, will be provided. 

Read more about the 2026 Department of Labor forum, including the agenda for the two-day event. 

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor cited a Florida roofing employer for willfully exposing employees to safety hazards after an employee suffered fatal injuries and another was seriously injured when falling from a two-story residence.  

The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators found that on Sept. 24, 2025, two workers from Max Home Services LLC – operating as Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy – were installing tarp when they slipped from the roof into an empty pool. One employee suffered fatal injuries and another sustained serious injuries. The agency cited the employer for willfully allowing both employees to work without personal fall protection at heights of over 20 feet. 

The employer also failed to adequately train employees to recognize fall hazards and did not implement a hazard communication program for workers using hazardous chemicals.

The agency cited the employer with one willful and two serious violations and proposed $172,324 in penalties.  

Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy has contested the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Penalties and citations may be adjusted throughout the course of the case process. Please check the OSHA establishment search page periodically for any changes in the inspection or penalty status. 

For information on preventing fall hazards, read OSHA’s fall prevention campaign, including a free and downloadable fall protection guide. In addition, employers can contact the agency for free compliance assistance and resources.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered a New Mexico-based inspection company to reinstate and compensate a terminated worker who reported safety concerns during installation of a natural gas pipeline in Watonga, Oklahoma.

The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated a whistleblower complaint filed against Legacy Energy and Distribution LLC that alleged a construction crew was installing a pipeline without following federal regulations. The complainant used “stop work authority” to halt the installation and contacted an independent, third-party testing company to verify observed concerns, which Legacy later confirmed as valid. Legacy subsequently fired the inspector, alleging failure to follow the established chain of command and complete the probationary period.

OSHA determined that Legacy wrongfully terminated the inspector for engaging in protected activities under the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, which protects employees from retaliation for reporting violations of federal laws related to pipeline safety and security. OSHA ordered Legacy to reinstate the employee and pay back wages, interest, and compensatory damages, totaling more than $35,000.

OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the whistleblower provisions of 25 whistleblower statutes protecting employees from retaliation for reporting violations of workplace airline, anti-money laundering, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, criminal antitrust, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, maritime, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, safety and health, securities and tax laws.

For information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program webpage.

                                                                                                           # # #

Editor's note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.

HUNTSVILLE, AL – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Huntsville-based home builder with eight serious safety violations after an investigation into a worker’s fatality in December 2025 found the employer exposed construction workers to multiple safety hazards during groundwork prep.

Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned that workers for Breland Homes Inc. were installing a sewage drainpipe in a Madison County subdivision when a trench collapsed on a construction laborer. 

OSHA concluded that Breland Homes had allowed the decedent to work in an unprotected and unsupported section of the trench. In addition, OSHA found multiple safety violations, including failure to train workers to recognize unsafe conditions in trenching, allowing workers to conduct duties without protective helmets, and permitting employees to conduct work with a damaged ladder. 

OSHA cited Breland Homes Inc. with eight serious violations and proposed $115,855 in penalties.

Breland Homes Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Penalties and citations may be adjusted throughout the course of the case process. Please check the OSHA establishment search page periodically for any changes in the inspection or penalty status. 

OSHA’s trenching and excavation webpage includes information on standard requirements, hazard recognition, and controlling safety hazards. Employers can contact the agency for information about OSHA’s compliance assistance resources and for free help on complying with OSHA standards.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor is reinforcing safety and health protections for workers in maritime industries throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands through a local emphasis program.

Designed to address high injury and illness rates within maritime industries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiative establishes inspections directed at maritime industries operating on or adjacent to U.S. navigable waterways during a five-year inspection plan.

OSHA maritime inspections apply to industries engaged in shipbuilding and repair, boat building, marine cargo handling, shipping navigation services, port and harbor operations, other support activities for water transportation, and marinas conducting recreational boat repair.

Free, confidential assistance is available to improve workplace safety and health while promoting compliance with OSHA standards. Employers across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands should take advantage of the free on‑site consultation services available now through the Puerto Rico OSHA Consultation Program and the U.S. Virgin Islands Safety in Paradise OSHA On-site Consultation Program. 

These services help small businesses identify workplace hazards, strengthen safety programs, and reduce injuries in high‑risk maritime industries. View details of the maritime initiative, established March 2, 2026, on OSHA’s enforcement site. 

For additional occupational safety and health information, contact the OSHA Puerto Rico Area Office at (787) 277-1560 or visit www.osha.gov.

Learn more about solutions to common industry hazards. 

WASHINGTON – On April 23, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Mine Safety and Health Administration will gather with families from across the country to honor loved ones who have lost their lives on the job during its national Workers Memorial program.

Families who have lost a loved one – whether recently or in years past – are invited to the department’s Washington headquarters to attend this year’s ceremony recognizing our fallen workers and serving as their voice to help prevent other families from experiencing such a loss. 

This year’s featured speaker, Christopher Pabon, will share the story of his stepfather, Angel Luis Rivera of Orlando, Florida. In 2023, Rivera was fatally injured in a workplace incident after he fell less than six feet while working on a generator exhaust system. 

Rivera was a devoted husband, father, and friend who lived with empathy and unwavering love for his family, and who found great joy in fishing, cooking, and traveling with those closest to him. Memories of his life, like those of thousands of workers who are fatally injured from a job-related incident, reflect the lasting toll these losses take on families and communities – and remind us that we must continue to work together to ensure everyone returns home safe each day. 

The Workers Memorial program will begin at 1 p.m. EDT on April 23, at the department’s headquarters. Following the event, there will be a wreath laying ceremony in Veteran’s Plaza on the department’s grounds. Both programs will be livestreamed for those who are unable to join in person. 

The day’s events will conclude with OSHA’s first candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. 

OSHA will host Workers Memorial events throughout the week of April 20-24, including safety and health trainings, panel discussions, and interactive exhibits, to bring awareness and educate employers and workers to prevent future workplace tragedies. OSHA’s Workers Memorial page has a list of events and information on how to sign up for them.

“Every American deserves a safe work environment,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “At the Department of Labor, we are committed to Putting American Workers First by ensuring they have the protections they deserve. These events provide an opportunity to honor the lives of those who went to work and did not return safely home, and to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safety in the workplace.” 

Observed annually on April 28, Workers Memorial Day also marks a pivotal moment in workplace safety, commemorating the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which established OSHA. Learn more about Workers Memorial Day events happening nationwide.

PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has signed a strategic partnership with Mascaro Construction Co. to promote worker safety and health during a major expansion of the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.

The partnership between the OSHA Pittsburgh Area Office and the construction company seeks to prevent work-related injuries, control and eliminate serious workplace hazards, and establish a foundation for an effective safety and health program.

This initiative will also assist contractors in developing and implementing safety and health management systems and train subcontractors on recognizing hazards when working in and around construction sites.

Partners will emphasize leadership engagement, accountability measures, worker participation strategies, and robust hazard identification protocols. 

The Heinz History Center campus expansion will add a new wing that includes exhibitions of Pittsburgh history, updated visitor amenities, a 150-seat theater, smart classrooms, a cafe, and event spaces.

Construction on the 92,000-square-foot expansion is estimated to conclude by May 2028.

OSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, labor organizations, and other interested stakeholders, to establish specific goals, strategies, and performance measures to improve worker safety and health. Learn more about OSHA.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today updated its National Emphasis Program that protects workers from outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards to direct agency resources where they can make the biggest impact – focusing inspections and outreach in industries and workplaces where heat stress risks are most likely to occur.  

Originally issued in April 2022, the revised National Emphasis Program – Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards uses OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics data from calendar years 2022-2025 to direct inspection priorities to 55 high-risk industries in indoor and outdoor work settings.

Through this data, OSHA identified industries with high rates of heat-related illness and industries with employers that have received heat-related citations or hazard alert letters. The revised emphasis program removes outdated background information, updates links, and eliminates the former numerical inspection goal and introduces two reorganized appendices, one for evaluating heat programs and another for citation guidance. The update also includes clearer guidance that will improve tracking and more effectively implement the program’s enforcement and outreach efforts. 

Compliance officers will continue to conduct outreach and compliance assistance and expand any inspection where there is evidence of heat-related hazards on heat priority days. Additionally, compliance officers will conduct random inspections focused on heat hazards in high-risk industries on days when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or warning. 

Heat illness remains a serious hazard for indoor and outdoor workers, leading to preventable injuries and fatalities every year. Ensuring that employers take the steps needed to safeguard workers is essential, and this updated program allows OSHA to better focus on outreach, compliance assistance, and enforcement efforts in high-risk industries and promote effective prevention practices. 

The revised National Emphasis Program is effective immediately and will be in place for five years after the effective date. 

OSHA will continue its compliance assistance and outreach efforts to industry and labor stakeholders, alliance partners, and media to broaden the reach of heat safety information and resources. The agency’s On-Site Consultation Program, a free and confidential health and safety consulting program for small- and medium-sized businesses, can assist employers with developing strategic approaches for addressing heat-related illnesses and injuries in workplaces.

Read the updated National Emphasis Program – Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards. 

Learn more about preventing heat illness.

SIOUX FALLS, SD – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against a Valley Springs construction contractor for the wrongful termination of an employee who reported a severe work-related injury.

An investigation by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the employee received second- and third-degree burns from scalding water in a pressurized pipe. OSHA determined Stone Hill Excavation LLC, and its successor Split Rock Sand & Gravel, violated the whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act by firing the worker two days after the injury was reported.

The department’s suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, asks the court to hold the company and its successor liable for illegal retaliation. It also calls for the reinstatement of the employee and payment of back wages and damages, including $100,000 in punitive damages. 

OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the whistleblower provisions of 25 whistleblower statutes protecting employees from retaliation for reporting violations of workplace airline, anti-money laundering, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, criminal antitrust, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, maritime, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, safety and health, securities and tax laws. 

For more information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage.

Editor’s note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.