Factories, warehouses and hospitals are among the employers expected to comply with OSHA’s final rule released Nov. 17 for general industry fall protection. The rule, covering an estimated 112 million workers, will take effect Jan. 17, though some compliance deadlines are delayed. Training requirements become mandatory in July 2017 and deadlines to comply with regulations for fixed ladders start in November 2018.
The rule updates the 45-year-old walking-working surfaces standards (29 C.F.R. 1910 Subpart D) and the personal protective equipment standards (29 C.F.R. 1910 Subpart I) by taking into account changes to safety practices and gear made since 1971.
Lives Saved, Injuries Prevented
“OSHA believes advances in technology and greater flexibility will reduce worker deaths and injuries from falls,” Occupational Safety and Health Administration head David Michaels said in statement.
The agency estimates the rule will prevent 29 fatalities and 5,842 injuries serious enough to keep an employee away from his job for at least one day. Implementation of the rule will directly cost employers $305 million annually. The rule, however, will save the economy $614.5 million annually in lesser medical costs and fewer workers killed on the job.
In general, the rule requires employers to identify slip, trip and fall hazards and then provide fall protection, ranging from guard rails to tethered harnesses.
Because OSHA’s last version of the rule appeared in 2010 as a proposal, industry officials on Nov. 17 weren’t ready to discuss their potential concerns with the 1,225-page final rule.
“Based on our strong interest in safety, the billboard industry looks forward to reviewing this lengthy rule,” Nicole Haynes, communications director for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, told Bloomberg BNA Nov. 17.
43 Years Ago
Development of the rule began in 1973 with the last series of hearings and public comment periods held in 2010 and 2011. OSHA aimed to release the final rule earlier in 2016, but pulled the rule on Dec. 21, 2015, from its White House review in favor of the more controversial silica rule.
To read the full story, visit https://www.bna.com/osha-releases-fall-n57982082933/.