OSHA Newquist April 2026

OSHA News for April 2026 Hello everyone, If this newsletter is reaching you a little later than usual, it’s because the reality of the field caught up with the calendar. Between unexpectedly filling in to teach a three-day confined space course, knocking out second and third-shift classes, and traveling for site audits, my schedule was pushed completely sideways this month. I finally got my feet back under my desk today. In developing hazard analyses for clients recently, I've been diving deep into the most recent incident reports. To truly protect our workers, our safety strategies need to expand beyond standard compliance and focus directly on the specific mechanisms causing the injuries on the floor. This data-first approach hits especially close to home this week. On April 28th, we observed Workers Memorial Day, taking time to honor those who lost their lives in the pursuit of building our world. Whether we are looking at confined space entry, fall protection, or machine guarding, the "stakes" of our daily operations are human lives. We can't change the past, but we can change the variables for the future. Education, training, and relentless vigilance are the only ways to tilt the odds in favor of the worker. Let’s honor the fallen by making safety an unbreakable standard, not a suggestion. To that end, this month's free PowerPoint download is the Top 5 Construction Accident Categories. I am actually delivering a portion of this presentation on Monday to a room of 100 people. I really like the OSHA SIR data I dug out regarding what is specifically hurting our construction workers right now, with a heavy focus on the new statistics surrounding concrete work and fall protection. We have to know the specific hazards to defeat them. Finally, I want to send a massive congratulations out to the field: 178 people have passed their BCSP Certification so far this year! That is 178 more dedicated professionals raising the bar and keeping our crews safe. Excellent work. John OSHA News Update 1) Fabcon Precast LLC was sentenced in June 2025 to a $500,000 fine and two years of probation after pleading guilty to a criminal charge for the 2020 death of 20-year-old worker Zachary Ledbetter. The company willfully violated OSHA rules by failing to repair a broken safety valve on a concrete mixer, causing a pneumatic door to crush the employee in Grove City, Ohio. In June 2020, batch operator Zachary Ledbetter was killed when a pneumatic discharge door on a concrete mixer closed on his head. The machine had a known, unrepaired broken T-handle on an exhaust valve designed to disable the door. OSHA - At 4:30 p.m. On June 11, 2020, Employee # 1 was attempting to remove a jam with an air chipper from under an open pneumatic concrete mixer discharge door. He released the jam causing the door to close while his head and neck were inside the 90 pounds per square inch pressure door's action trapping him. He lost consciousness, suffered neck and head crushing injuries which resulted in Employee # 1's death. Willful lockout and confined space was cited. June 2025. Criminal Charge: Fabcon Precast pleaded guilty to willfully failing to follow an OSHA safety standard, which caused an employee's death—a class B misdemeanor under federal law. Filings also say the company paid for Ledbetter’s funeral and provided a substantial financial settlement to his family as part of restitution. Sentencing: The company received the maximum fine of $500,000, two years of organizational probation, and was ordered to implement a strict safety compliance plan. They paid $250,000 OSHA fine in addition. Investigation: The case was investigated by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice. 2) OSHA just extended and updated its National Emphasis Program on heat illness, adding several new covered industries, while removing others. When OSHA extended the NEP for only one year, some observers thought that meant it was likely to expire in 2026; instead, it will be in place for another 5 years. 3) Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to step down; Keith Sonderling to take over, according to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung 4) The FY2025 OSHA dataset contains 79,691 inspection records with 116,558 violations. Construction accounted for 33,822 inspection records (42.4%), while manufacturing represented 15,713 (19.7%). Combined, these two sectors made up 62.2% of all inspection records in the dataset. Enforcement activity also remained concentrated in a few primary channels. Planned inspections led at 30,987, followed by complaints (19,605) and referrals (12,464). Together, these three categories represented 79.1% of all inspection records, reinforcing that OSHA activity is being driven by both programmed emphasis and external triggers. Geographic concentration is also notable. California led with 7,492 inspection records, followed by Washington (5,584), Oregon (3,996), Texas (3,894), and Michigan (3,832). At the industry level, inspection activity was especially pronounced in high-exposure construction segments. Roofing contractors led all categories with 7,707 inspection records, followed by framing contractors (4,240) and commercial and institutional building construction (4,009). From Craig Bengal. 5) A potential change to OSHA’s fixed ladder requirements could have major implications for employers. The agency is seeking input on whether to eliminate its 2036 deadline for installing fall protection systems – a requirement industry groups say would impact 22,000+ ladders and cost more than $1 billion. Details here: https://bit.ly/4sqnvCI6) 6) Officials in Northern California have arrested eight people, including a former local police officer, in connection with an explosion at a fireworks warehouse last July that killed seven people. Five of those arrested have been charged with murder. https://lnkd.in/g3NARpDD 7) Tennessee OSHA issues $3.1 million fine for explosion https://lnkd.in/gyjvbSAm Other News 1) Worker dies after falling 4 stories from Northwestern building, Evanston police say https://lnkd.in/gahhx6sB 2) Workers 65 and older have nearly three times the risk of dying on the job as other workers, with a job fatality rate of 9.1 per 100,000 workers. https://lnkd.in/gPW-zkrs 3) Explosion at BP Cherry Point Refinery Injures Workers and Triggers Evacuation Near Seattle An industrial incident at the BP Cherry Point Refinery in Blaine, Washington, on April 19th resulted in at least four injuries and the hospitalisation of three workers following an explosion at the site. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion around 10:20 a.m., prompting an immediate evacuation of refinery personnel. Emergency services arrived shortly after and transported injured workers to hospital, with one reported to require advanced life support. The facility, operated by BP plc, confirmed the incident was contained and stated there is no ongoing risk to nearby communities. All other personnel were accounted for following the emergency response. Local fire authorities were not directly involved in operational mitigation inside the facility, and the exact cause of the incident remains under investigation. 4) Jury awards injured worker 5.5 million in Wisconsin at a Menards distribution center forklift accident. https://lnkd.in/gGTVnfFp 5) New research from CPWR--The Center for Construction Research and Training says workers at small construction firms experience much higher death and injury rates. https://lnkd.in/gpS4KbNA 6) Two people were killed and over a dozen others required medical care after a chemical release at Catalyst Refiners in Kanawha County, West Virginia, officials said. The incident prompted a temporary shelter-in-place order and left one person in critical condition. | Fox News https://lnkd.in/gbaXtnrR 7) An explosion at a chemical plant in Ottawa IL Tuesday morning was leading to multiple street closures, with residents being asked to avoid the area and emergency responders on scene. Just before 8 a.m, the Ottawa Fire Department received a call of an incident at Coogee Chemicals, located at 1501 Titanium Drive. In a Facebook post, the Ottawa Fire Department asked people nearby the avoid the area, describing the scene as "active. 8) The Drew Price Act (SB1742/Public Act 104-0121), effective Jan. 1, 2026, is an Illinois law improving firefighter safety by requiring guardrails or parapets around light shafts, skylights, and roof openings on low-sloped commercial buildings. Named after a Chicago firefighter who died in 2023, it mandates safety surveys of roof hazards for first responders. Section 10. Low-sloped roof edges and openings. All existing buildings, new construction, new roofs, roof replacements, and renovation projects that increase the area of a home or business by more than 50% are subject to the following requirements: (1) The edges of a low-sloped roof that adjoin a shaft or a court that is enclosed on all sides shall be provided with a parapet, extended masonry, or guard, or any combination thereof that meets the requirements of Section 1015 of the International Building Code. (2) All skylights and other openings located in the plane of a low-sloped roof that are not otherwise required to remain open and unobstructed by law shall be either: (A) glazed with wired glass, plain glass, glass block, or polycarbonate plastic that is designed and constructed to withstand a minimum dynamic load test of no less than 400 pounds; or (B) provided with a parapet, extended masonry, or guard, or any combination thereof, that meets the requirements of Section 1015 of the International Building Code. 9) Liberty Mutual data for 2025. Nonfatal injuries with more five days. Manufacturing. 1. Overexertion 1.77 Billion 2. Falls Same Level 1.27 Billion. 3. Struck by objects or equipment 830 million. 4. Caught by equipment (Lockout or Guarding) 650 Million 5. Repetitive motion microtasks 580 Million 10) Conroe TX trench death Saturday. https://lnkd.in/gRkhhKjJ 11) A dust collector fire burn? Illinois https://lnkd.in/gFY3XK7p 12) EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — An explosion at a manufacturing plant in East Providence sent 11 people to the hospital. An NBC 10 viewer shared doorbell camera video that caught the flash and the sound from Wednesday night's blast at Aspen Aerogels. https://lnkd.in/gdqdHHWH 13) PA Worker was working at a construction site in the area of 712 Clover Drive in Hamilton Township when a trench collapsed on him. https://lnkd.in/gjxc6EF4 14) Philadelphia Parking Garage collapse under construction kills worker https://lnkd.in/g9xqjPAC OSHA CITATIONS 6/20/2025 This is discontinued Safety Training at Non-Profits (Check Sites for Starting Dates) Harwood Grant Silica May 26 2026 CSC Harwood Grant Machine guard lockout May 8 2026 NIU Naperville Harwood Grant Machine guard lockout May 15 2026 NIU Rockford Harwood Grant Confined Space Fire May 13 2026 NIU Naperville Harwood Grant Confined Space Fire May 22 2026 NIU Rockford OSHA 500 CSC May 18-19 2026 For FREE Harwood grant training https://cpelearn.niu.edu/susan-harwood-training-grant-program/ NIU is Northern Illinois University OSHA Education Center http://www.nsec.niu.edu CSC is the Construction Safety Council in Hillside. Www.Buildsafe.org TRMA is Three Rivers Manufacturers Association www.trma.org I usually teach only 10-hour and the 500 series. I have taught 663 people this year. I teach evenings, weekends, and early mornings too. I teach in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Indiana. The PowerPoint is posted free at usmwf.org. https://www.usmwf.org/powerpoints-and-safety-information.html I use your feedback to make changes to make corrections. -- John Newquist 815-354-6853