Dive Brief:

• The paving and maintenance industry may face challenges in coming years because of regulatory issues on several fronts.
• Federal budgets are increasing protection for whistle-blowers, making it even more important for companies to attend to safety programs, and an industry with largely male workers in their 20s and 30s could face higher costs as insurers can no longer differentiate premiums by gender.
• There is a growing movement to ban or limit the use of refined coal tar sealants, which can affect maintenance companies, and all contractors may face a choice of trying to keep older equipment running or buying new equipment that meets new  emissions restrictions.

Dive Insight:

While paving companies can feel excessively burdened by new regulations, there's usually an end that justifies the means -- at least in theory. Stricter regulations may result in higher compliance costs, but will hopefully improve health and safety.