Additional ‘Final Rule’ From OSHA Announced Yesterday

According to OSHA, the new rule will prevent 29 fatalities annually, along with preventing 5,842 lost workday injuries each year.

By, Robert Box

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule yesterday updating its Walking-Working Surfaces Standards relating to slip, trip and fall hazards in general industry.

A broad scope of general industry workers will be affected by the new rule, but it will not affect construction or agricultural standards.

Specifically, the new rule updates slip, trip and fall standards (subpart D), and adds requirements for personal fall protection systems (subpart I).  The changes are believed by OSHA to increase the consistency between general and construction industries. 

The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety & Health Dr. David Michaels said in a statement on OSHA’s website, “OSHA believes advances in technology and greater flexibility will reduce worker deaths and injuries from falls.” 

According to OSHA, the new rule will prevent 29 fatalities annually, along with preventing 5,842 lost workday injuries each year.

The new Walking-Working Surfaces standard will become effective on January 17, 2017 and will include the following updates:

• Allowing employers to choose fall protection systems that work best for them, selecting from an array of accepted options including personal fall protection systems as is observed in the construction industry;
• Allowing employers to use rope descent systems (up to 300 feet in elevation);
• Official prohibition of body belt use as a personal fall arrest system device; and

Requiring employers to adequately train workers on personal fall protection systems and fall equipment. 

Safety First Consulting helps businesses identify OSHA compliance issues in their workplaces, manage their safety programs, and we become accountable for the results.  In addition to offering custom written safety programs for companies, Safety First Consulting provides required safety training, industrial hygiene sampling, noise sampling, and workplace inspections.