Ann Arbor Tightens Construction Safety Contract Rules
Revisions follow the June 2025 death of a worker on a city road project along Miller Avenue.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Unions
Ann Arbor has revised its city construction contract safety provisions after construction worker David Reminder, 48, died when his gravel truck tipped over during a city road project along Miller Avenue in June 2025. Under the revisions, onsite supervisors must now hold 30 hours of OSHA safety training instead of 10.
Why it matters
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration identified deficiencies in the contractor's safety program following Reminder's death. The changes are intended to strengthen and clarify contractual safety requirements and make them more enforceable for city construction work.
Onsite supervisors must now complete 30 hours of OSHA safety training, up from 10 hours previously. City inspectors may visit job sites, verify credentials and require immediate corrections, with repeated violations able to trigger stop-work orders.
The players
Milton Dohoney
Milton Dohoney is the City Administrator of Ann Arbor who presented the construction safety revisions to City Council.
Jen Eyer
Jen Eyer is an Ann Arbor City Council Member who initiated the review of the city's construction safety practices.
Christopher Taylor
Christopher Taylor is the Mayor of Ann Arbor who initiated the review of the city's construction safety practices.
Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the state agency that identified deficiencies in the contractor's safety program after the fatal accident.
The details
The revisions require contractors to follow their own safety programs, including standards that may exceed state minimums. City Administrator Milton Dohoney presented the changes to City Council in a memo, and the Skilled Trades Regulation Act memo extends to private construction throughout the city.
Timeline
June 2025: Worker David Reminder died in the gravel truck accident on Miller Avenue.
February 2023: An electrical apprentice was critically injured near Marshall without required supervision.
Nov. 5, 2026: Council is scheduled to take final action on a sweat-free procurement ordinance.
Political Context
The changes go beyond the state minimums that MIOSHA enforces by requiring contractors to follow safety programs that may exceed them. Council has framed the revisions as a way to make contractual safety requirements more enforceable than general state rules alone.
Private contractors working in Ann Arbor will face stricter supervisor training and inspection rules. Contractors receive explicit notice of apprentice requirements when permits are issued, along with a contact for reporting violations.
The takeaway
Construction firms working in Ann Arbor should review their safety programs and supervisor training records now, since inspectors can require immediate corrections on site. Workers and residents who witness violations can report them through the contact the city supplies with permits.
Further reading
Explore more Ann Arbor politics coverage to see how labor and workplace safety debates play out locally.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mlive.
