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Eye on Safety
Study Claims OSHA Fails to Ensure Safety of New York Construction Workers
A recent study by the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) asserts that OSHA fails to ensure the safety of New York's construction workers. The study, Lives in the Balance, Part 2: Low Penalties, Too Few Inspections Undermine OSHA's Ability to Deter Unsafe Practices in New York's Construction Industry is based on information OSHA provided NYSTLA under the Freedom of Information Act, including abstracts of the 156 catastrophic accidents the agency investigated in New York since January 2001. Among the study's major findings are that OSHA construction industry enforcement is so understaffed that in 2004 there were fewer than six inspections of construction and renovation sites per day on average in New York State and northern New Jersey. When OSHA did inspect and found violations of its safety rules, the penalties were so small they provided little or no incentive to follow safety rules in the future. NYSTLA also looked at previous OSHA inspections of construction companies whose workers were killed or injured in one of the 156 catastrophic accidents and found that the penalties -- generally less than $10,000 -- did not deter subsequent safety violations. The NYSTLA study calls for raising OSHA penalties, which were last increased in 1991, increasing OSHA's budget, and substantially expanding enforcement. To download a pdf of the complete study, visit NYSTLA's Web site.

Shows and Events
BICSI Winter Conference
BICSI's 2006 Winter Conference is scheduled for Orlando, Fla., from January 22-26. Seminar topics include labeling, cable sharing, managing thermal demands, and optical-fiber termination technology. Attendance fulfills the requirement for RCDD renewal. For more information on the conference, visit BICSI's Web site.

Technology for Construction Conference
McGraw-Hill Construction will present the Technology for Construction conference at World of Concrete from Jan. 16-20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. The conference will feature software and telecom products for project management and project collaboration, among other applications. On Jan. 17, the Executive Forum will focus on the exchange of IT-centric business strategies and management concepts. Also featured in the conference will be an information technology marketplace showcasing the newest products and tools for the construction industry from software and systems providers. To download a pdf of the complete conference schedule, visit the World of Concrete Web site.

PEARL's 2006 Annual Conference
and Membership Meeting
The Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League (PEARL) will present its annual Conference and Membership Meeting from Feb. 25-28 at the Disney Yacht Club Resort in Orlando, Fla. Conference and meeting events include seminars on trademark and labeling and reconditioning standards, molded-case and insulated circuit breaker maintenance training, a golf tournament, the awards presentation, and the unveiling of a new PEARL standard. For the complete agenda, visit PEARL's Web site.

Lightfair International 2006
Lightfair International 2006 will be held from May 28 to June 1 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. The institutes and trade show and conference will offer 76 courses, totaling more than 240 hours of programming. Conference topics will address subjects such as lighting software and applications, business and lighting fundamentals, design innovation and product updates, and project case studies. Core curriculum provides AIA, ASID, IIDA, IESNA, and IFMA accreditation (upon individual association approval), and conference participants may choose from 12 daylighting institute workshops, a two-day daylighting fundamentals course, six two-day Lightfair Institute immersion courses, 19 three-hour workshops, seven masters courses, and 30 seminars. New for 2006 is Lighting Fundamentals (Fundamentos de Iluminación) in Spanish. For a complete agenda, visit Lightfair's Web site.