Trump Overturns Obama-passed OSHA Recordkeeping Rule
Both the House and Senate recently voted to repeal a rule that took effect in January of this year that would allow OSHA to issue citations for recordkeeping violations up to five years old. The previous statute of limitations was six months. According to an article by Shane Hedmond in Construction Junkie, contractors are still required by OSHA to keep injury and illness records for five years, based upon current OSHA standards that were not subject to repeal. Multiple associations claimed that increasing the statute of limitations on recordkeeping violations would have created a paperwork burden for contractors, while failing to improve worker health and safety. Check out the post here to learn more.
Trump Executive Order Seeks to Enforce Buy-American Act
President Trump signed a directive on April 18th aimed at toughening enforcement of federal Buy American policies for government purchases and for products used on federally funded projects. Tom Ichniowski in an ENR post said that the directive follows up on Trump’s repeated comments that he will put a priority on “Buy American” and “Hire American” policies that were mentioned in his February 28 address to Congress. Read the full post here for the pros and cons of this directive.
On the same topic, Kim Slowey, Construction Dive, predicts that the “Buy American and Hire American” measure could put more restrictions on the construction industry and creates a great deal of uncertainty for the industry. Check out the blog for more commentary.
Tiny Homes May Be a Good Option for a Lot of People
Smaller homes are gaining popularity in many cities as a solution for those who want to live within a smaller footprint or as a short- or long-term solution for those facing homelessness or finding it difficult to find affordable housing. To learn more about how specific cities are utilizing this affordable housing and challenges they are encountering, read Katy Tomasuto’s blog entry in ConstructionDIVE.
Social Media Trends & Tips for Usage
In a recent Sage Construction and Real Estate blog, Deb Carpenter Beck cites a Construction Marketing Association survey that indicated that 82% of construction marketing professionals plan to increase their investment in social media in 2017. She also listed five fundamental tips to effectively use social media to promote your construction business. Check the post out here to get tips to improve your social media program.
