OSHA updates fall prevention safety regulations

June 20th, 2017 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

Maintaining the health and safety of employees in every profession is of the utmost importance to all employers. This sentiment is especially true for businesses within the industrial and manufacturing sectors. Certain workers in this field are particularly susceptible to injury because they often work at heights in positions or areas that carry a high level of potential danger.

New safety rules give employers increased flexibility in fall prevention systems

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has updated its regulations on falling, specifically within the Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems rule. According to the organization's statistics, the new rulings will affect 6.9 million businesses and 112 million workers. It's also estimated they will prevent 29 fatalities and 5,842 lost-workday injuries annually.

"The final rule will increase workplace protection from those hazards, especially fall hazards, which are a leading cause of worker deaths and injuries," said Dr. David Michaels, former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, in a news release.

OSHA's fall protection is defined as "any equipment, device, or system that prevents a worker from falling from an elevation or mitigates the effect of such a fall."

The updates encourage employers to customize safety systems based on the requirements and challenges associated with their individual job sites. Regulations are based on standards, best practices and the implementation of new technologies within the construction industry, and are now applied to general industry fields. Some of these standards which employers can choose from include:

• Guardrail system: {make these bold} A barrier along a walkway or at the end of an elevated walkway that prevents workers from falling over the edge.
• Safety net system: A system of netting that prevents workers from hitting the ground in the event of a fall.
• Personal fall arrest system: A system designed to slow or completely stop a working during a fall.
• Travel restraint system: A system that restricts the distance a worker can travel in work area, preventing them from going over an edge.
• Ladder safety system: A system attached to a fixed ladder that decreases or eliminates the chance of a worker falling from the ladder.
• Refer to the {fix the link overflow here OSHA fact sheet to get more information.

The original ruling went into effect on January 17 and a provision ensuring affected workers are trained on fall hazards and who use equipment covered by the final rule became effective on May 17. Some rules will take effect after a delay:

• Nov. 20, 2017: {bold these, too} Reviewing and approving permanent rope descent system anchor points.
• Nov. 19, 2018: Installing fall prevention or ladder safety systems on new permanent and replacement ladders over 24 feet, including on permanent outdoor advertising ladders.
• Nov. 19, 2018: Verifying that a ladder safety system, cage, or well, is equipped on existing permanent ladders over 24 feet, including those on outdoor advertising structures.
• Nov. 18, 2036: Replacing ladder safety systems, cages, and wells on all permanent ladders over 24 feet.