One of BAC's core missions is fighting for health and safety: protecting union members on the job, providing members with information and tools to work safely, and promoting occupational safety for all trowel trades craftworkers. 


Building Safe and Healthy Workplaces that Promote Worker Voice

Establishing collaborative safety and health programs in workplaces is one of the most effective ways to protect workers and businesses. When management and workers collaborate to identify and solve issues before they occur, it builds trust, enhances communication, and leads to mutually beneficial improvements. Learn more about workers' rights related to safety and health.

Recognizing National Preparedness Month and Worker Safety and Health Resources

September is National Preparedness Month. This year, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has identified preparing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities for disasters as its 2024 theme.

OSHA's Emergency Preparedness and Response webpage provides information to protect workers responding to hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters. There are also FEMA preparedness materials and tools on how to make a plan and get business ready with toolkits, business plan development resources, training and exercises, and more. 

Stay Safe in the Heat

BAC members across the country regularly work in conditions outdoors in direct sunlight or in enclosed spaces that are not climate-controlled. This leads construction workers to suffer from heat-related illnesses and, in severe cases, death. 

Before working in extreme heat, review the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) checklists:

Another resource available is a CPWR webinar with OSHA that provides an overview of OSHA National Emphasis Program (NEP) and answers questions about preventing heat-related illnesses at work. Click here to watch. 

Additional information and resources:

The CDC on Heat Stress Acclimatization: Heat Stress: Acclimatization (cdc.gov)

OSHA’s Heat Illness Campaign: Heat Illness Prevention Campaign | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)

CPWR’s Heat Hazards:  CPWR Heat Hazards


National Safety Stand-Down Toolkit

Why Fall Protection Matters

Fall Protection: Guardrails 

Fall Protection: Ladder Safety

Fall Protection: Scaffold Safety

The ABCDEs of Falls

Wildfire Smoke is a Safety Hazard 

Wildfires are common disasters that can spread quickly, particularly during dry conditions. With many in the northeast experiencing smoke from the wildfires in Canada, we wanted to make sure you are aware of OSHA’s Wildfires webpage that has additional resources addressing exposure to outdoor workers, including those from other agencies, such as: 


BAC Safety Webinar Series 

AFL-CIO Webinar on Federal OSHA's Heat Proposal and Building a Strong Federal Standard

Tuesday, September 17, at 1:00 pm (EST)

Presenter: Rebecca Reindel, AFL-CIO Director of Safety and Health 

Register HERE.

Past webinars include:

Research Study on Early Lung Function Screening

Mental Health Awareness 

Ladder Safety

The Hazards of Nanotechnology & Nanomaterials

Mast Climber Safety

Fall Protections: ABCDEs

Ladder Safety

Fall Protection

Working in the Heat

What is Silica and Why is it Dangerous?

OSHA/MSHA Updates

OSHA's Top 10 Citations

Contact BAC International Safety and Health Director Liliana Calderon with any suggestions on what trainings / refreshers you would like to see in the future. 


The BAC Difference: Training

A major difference between a BAC craftworker and a non-union worker is our training. Safety is no different. During the first weeks of apprenticeship classes, our workers are OSHA 10 or 30 certified. Additional training – including asbestos training, lead abatement, and OSHA 500, 502, and 510 – is available for members, foremen, and union representatives as necessary / desired. 

Members are also taught while training in their crafts to perform the work in the safest, most ergonomically-friendly way. For contractors, this leads to projects done with minimal delays due to accidents, and lower costs for insurance and violation fees. 

Are you looking to grow your knowledge, or need a refresher for your certification? Click here to find out more about what trainings are currently available through the International Masonry Training and Education Fund. 


COVID Resources

Although the pandemic has abated because of vaccines, COVID-19 is still spreading through North America, causing severe illness and death for unvaccinated and immune-compromised people. 

BAC members still need access to accurate information about how to protect yourself and your family, both on the job and at home.

Visit our COVID Resources page for more information. Continue to stay safe! 


See Something, Say Something

It is the responsibility of every person at the worksite to work safely: from the contractors providing an environment that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of their workers, to members knowing the hazards and avoiding actions that would compromise their or their coworker’s safety.  

Every worker has a right to come home from work everyday in the same physical condition as they left. If you are working in an environment you feel is unsafe, union or non-union, contact your local BAC office or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

The life you save could be your own. 


Resources