AGC Response to Sixth Circuit Stay Dissolution

Source: Claiborne S. Guy, director, employment policy & practices, AGC of America

On Friday, December 17, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit dissolved the Fifth Circuit’s stay of the OSHA Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). This decision allows OSHA to proceed with implementation and enforcement of the rule issued on November 5, 2021. AGC is a party to the proceedings in the Sixth Circuit, having filed its own petition for petition for review, and is actively engaged in a review of its legal options moving forward. AGC will continue to keep its chapters and members updated on any future developments.

To account for any uncertainty created by the Fifth Circuit’s stay, OSHA is exercising enforcement discretion with respect to the compliance dates of the ETS. To provide employers with sufficient time to come into compliance, OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the ETS before January 10, 2022, and will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, 2022, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard.

In an effort to assist members with increasing the vaccination rates among their workforce and to comply with the ETS requirements, AGC created a vaccine tool kit webpage which contains a construction oriented summary of the ETS detailing employers compliance options and obligations as well as additional resources. If you have any questions, or for more information, please contact Kevin Cannon at kevin.cannon@agc.org or Nazia Shah at nazia.shah@agc.org.

Certified Installers for End-Treatments and Impact Attenuators

Source: Derrick Hauser, P.E., INDOT Field Engineer

As social distancing continues due to COVID-19 and to accommodate the ever-increasing demand for guardrail end-treatments and impact attenuator installation training, INDOT has partnered with manufacturers to migrate training efforts to an on-demand learning system along with guidelines for getting registered on the certified installer list. Below you will find the hyperlink to the training resources, on-demand trainings and certification process.

https://www.in.gov/indot/div/public/guardrail-impact-attenuator-training.htm

Hand Sanitizer Safety

We’ve heard a lot about hand hygiene during the COVID-19 outbreak. Along with other disease prevention strategies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations you wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, use hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

To meet Food and Drug Administration and CDC approval, hand sanitizers must be greater than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol alcohol. This makes alcohol hand sanitizers highly flammable, and if an ignition source is present, hand sanitizer will ignite at room temperature.

Recently, a UPS distribution center in Plainfield, Indiana experienced extensive damage and loss of product when an employee ignited hand sanitizer in a semi trailer at the facility.

Everyone should exercise caution when using/applying alcohol-based hand sanitizers near potential ignition sources, like cigarette lighters.

For more info on hand sanitizer flammability and the importance of proper storage, check out this five-minute video by the National Fire Protection Association.

Today on the Pod

Hoosier contractors have provided essential services throughout the shutdown, with workers on jobsites and in back offices. Today, ICI Digs Deep podcast talks with IOSHA and IDWD about compliance for workers hitting Stage 2 of the Back on Track Indiana Plan.

Podcast Resources:

Subscribe to ICI Digs Deep on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, and never miss an episode.

DBE and ACDBE Certification Procedures During COVID-19 Pandemic

INDOT’s Economic Opportunity Division will be following this federal guidance.  All DBEs should read this information carefully and forward any questions to dbecertification@indot.in.gov

INDOT EOD will not be conducting in person on site visits for new applicants geographically located in the State of Indiana through at least May 6, 2020.  We will reevaluate at that time.  INDOT EOD is reviewing different ways to conduct onsite visits virtually at this time. 

INDOT EOD will not suspend DBEs for failure to submit the no change affidavit in a timely manner at this time.  If your no change affidavit is complete, please submit it using the normal protocols of logging into ITAP, uploading the appropriate paperwork and submitting.  If you do not have your business taxes for 2019 at this time, please just let us know by emailing dbecertification@indot.in.gov.  We are keeping a record of those who have requested a delay in submission and will catch those up as the situation allows. 

Other than these two changes, we are committed to continuing to provide the same level of service our DBE community expects.  Please stay safe and feel free to contact any of the INDOT EOD staff with additional questions.  As we are all working remotely, the best way to contact us is via email.  

Stay safe everyone! 

Elizabeth Kiefner Crawford
Director, Economic Opportunity Division
Indiana Department of Transportation
100 North Senate Avenue – Room N750
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Direct Dial: (317) 650-1689

Email:  Ekiefner1@indot.in.gov