Understanding Fall Protection Equipment Warranty Requirements

Understanding Fall Protection Equipment Warranty Requirements

Understanding Fall Protection Equipment Warranty Requirements

Employers that are using fall protection equipment (e.g., personal fall arrest systems, connection components or anchors) should understand the manufacturers’ warranty requirements and instructions. Following these fall protection equipment warranty requirements is often necessary if the business would like the manufacturer to cover the product when it is damaged or if there is a functional issue. Examples of functional issues are when the fall protection fails to protect the employee when they fall or if a component of the fall protection (e.g. webbing, harness straps or buckles) needs repair.

Equipment manufacturers’ warranty instruction manuals play a vital role in workplace safety because both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) rely on these manuals to develop their standards on the proper use of equipment. The instructions also include the manufacturers’ own requirements that express the particular and proper use of the equipment.

In general, employers that follow manufacturers’ instructions are protected by equipment warranties. Conversely, employers that do not follow manufacturers’ instructions face the risk of voiding warranty protections. Without warranty protections, employers have fewer legal options against manufacturers under product liability policies.

Fall Protection Equipment Warranty

What Are PFAS?

Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) are made up of a body harness, anchorage and connector. This equipment is used to safely stop a worker who is falling. Under OSHA standards, employers are required to train their employees on the requirements of PFAS. Training is also frequently required by the manufacturer to honor the fall protection equipment warranty. Employees must understand the performance, care and use criteria for the fall arrest systems they are using. Each manufacturer of PFAS has different requirements for their warranties.

General Fall Protection Equipment Warranty Requirements

General warranty requirements include instructions that are meant to keep the equipment in the best shape possible during use. This is why the manual normally provides instructions on how to care for and maintain the fall protection equipment. The manual will also explain how to inspect and clean the equipment if it becomes dirty. Certain manufacturers have specific ways of cleaning PFAS that the user must follow to prevent voiding the warranty.

If employees are using PFAS that are designated specifically for them and they label their equipment, it is important for employees to check the manufacturing manual to determine whether there are any specific requirements when using markers to label the equipment (e.g., a manufacturer suggests only using Sharpie markers for writing on the webbing of their products).

OSHA and ANSI do not provide shelf-life recommendations for fall protection. The shelf life of fall protection is up to the manufacturer and will be found in the manual that comes with the equipment. Shelf-life warranties have changed over the years. Most fall protection equipment used to have a product lifetime of five years from the date of first use or when it was purchased. Some manufacturers have eliminated the five-year shelf life and instead consider the condition of the equipment. Other manufacturers eliminate the five-year shelf life if the equipment passes pre-use and competent-person inspection requirements as outlined in the guidelines.

Using Other Brand Accessories or Components

Employers need to be aware that, when purchasing a particular brand of fall protection, they may be required to purchase the same brand of fall protection accessories to maintain the warranty. Manufacturers may not allow the use of other brand accessories with their equipment. While OSHA does not have a standard prohibiting the use of different brands as long as the components are compatible, the agency has published an information bulletin on the subject. The safety and health bulletin includes this advisory information:

  • Personal fall protection made by different manufacturers may not be compatible.
  • Components by the same manufacturer may not be compatible if the components are not sized properly.

OSHA requires that employers evaluate the compatibility of all fall arrest systems and anchorage devices before the devices are used to protect employees. Employers should carefully read the manufacturer manuals and the warnings to pay close attention to components that are incompatible for use together.

Using different brands of fall protection with different brand accessories could create liability issues for the employer if there is an accident while using the equipment. The manufacturer likely will not allow the warranty to cover any accident liability if the user does not follow the manual instructions. Manufacturers normally do not honor another manufacturer’s product since it is not their product and they are not required to test the compatibility of any other brands with their own. Therefore, it is best practice and in the best interest of the employer to use the same brand for all of their fall protection equipment to prevent any mixing and matching of brands.

Inspection Requirements

Inspecting fall protection is very important for employee use. Employers must ensure that employees are inspecting their equipment when it is required. If an employee finds anything that would negatively affect the integrity of the equipment, it must be removed from service.

Inspections include visual and touch inspections on the webbing of the harness for things such as:

  • Cuts, nicks and tears
  • Fraying and abrasions
  • Missing straps
  • Mildew
  • Brittleness
  • Broken fibers
  • Hard or shiny spots indicating heat damage
  • Uneven webbing thickness indicating it was possibly worn during a fall
  • Issues with the stitching

Additionally, the manufacturer’s label needs to be present and legible, or the equipment must be removed from service.

Both OSHA and the manufacturer require that certain inspections be completed by a competent person. A competent person is an employee who is capable of identifying existing and potential hazards in any personal fall protection system (or any component of the fall protection) and who has authorization to take prompt, corrective action to eliminate the identified hazards. Employers must designate who their competent persons are.

In the Event of a Fall

Anytime PFAS are subjected to impact loading, OSHA regulations require an employer to remove them from service immediately. PFAS should not be used again for employee protection until a competent person inspects them and determines they are undamaged and suitable for use.

Making repairs to fall protection can only be done by the manufacturer, unless the manufacturer authorizes others to make the repairs on their behalf. Review the manufacturer’s manual prior to having repairs made by a third party.

It is important for employers to have fall protection plans that review OSHA requirements, ANSI standards and the manufacturer’s instructions. By following the requirements of the brands of fall protection being used, employers can prevent voiding their warranties.

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OSHA Guidance for Reopening Nonessential Businesses

OSHA Guidance for Reopening Nonessential Businesses

OSHA Guidance for Reopening Nonessential Businesses

On June 18, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released guidance to help employers plan how to reopen nonessential businesses. The guidance also addresses issues employers should consider as they ask their employees return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OSHA’s guidelines for reopening nonessential businesses provide general principles for updating restrictions that were originally put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

OSHA Guidance download

OSHA’s publication includes charts, examples and illustrations of how safety principles can be implemented for reopening. Specifically, this new guidance covers:

  • How to plan a reopening
  • OSHA standards and required protections in the workplace
  • Available OSHA assistance programs
  • Answers to employer frequently asked questions.

OSHA has stated that this new guidance is meant to supplement the White House’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again and the Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 developed by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. A as a result, businesses should follow local timelines and phased reopening plans as they implement OSHA’s guidance. Employers should also continue to monitor federal, state and local updates about community disinfection, best practices and transmission mitigation measures. For example, employers can visit OSHA’s coronavirus webpage and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for updates.

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OSHA Enforcement Priorities During the Coronavirus Pandemic

OSHA Enforcement Priorities During the Coronavirus Pandemic

OSHA Enforcement Priorities During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Due to complaints related to a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), insufficient training on appropriate standards and possible coronavirus illness (COVID-19) transmissions in the workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued temporary guidance for its area offices to use in their efforts to enforce the agency’s workplace safety and health mandates. These mandates require employers to take prompt actions to mitigate hazards and protect employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. OSHA enforcement priorities have changed, see below for more information.

The new guidance, issued on April 13, 2020, directs OSHA compliance officers to process most complaints from non-healthcare and non-emergency response establishments as “non-formal” and to conduct investigations via phone or fax whenever possible. However, employers should know that after receiving a serious incident report, OSHA area directors will determine whether to conduct an inspection or a rapid response investigation (RRI). RRIs are intended to identify any hazards, provide abatement assistance and confirm abatement, and OSHA generally encourages area directors to recommend them.

This Compliance Bulletin provides a summary of the enforcement guidance provisions that relate specifically to COVID-19 issues.

Exposure Risk Levels

High Risk

Jobs with high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of COVID-19 in specific medical, postmortem or laboratory procedures.

Medium Risk

Jobs with frequent or close contact with people who may be infected.

Low Risk

Jobs that do not require contact with people known or suspected to be infected and do not involve frequent or close contact with the general public.

Action Steps

Employers should use this Compliance Bulletin to become familiar with the procedures and guidelines OSHA will use to enforce workplace safety and health laws during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers are encouraged to contact their local OSHA area office if they have concerns or need clarification on how to comply with specific OSHA standards.

OSHA Enforcement COVID-19 Inspections

Under the guidance issued on April 13, 2020, OSHA’s area offices will prioritize their resources in coordination with their regional offices to determine whether an on-site inspection of the workplace is necessary. If an on-site inspection is warranted, compliance officers will evaluate the risk of COVID-19 exposure before the inspection takes place. Employers should note that OSHA is encouraging their compliance officers to maximize the use of electronic means of communication (including remote video surveillance, phone interviews, email correspondence, facsimile and email transmittals of documents and video conferences) and to consult with their regional solicitors when appropriate.

If an on-site inspection is warranted, compliance officers will coordinate with their regional office and contact the Office of Occupational Medicine and Nursing (OOMN), as necessary, whenever they identify a workplace with potential for high-risk exposure to COVID-19. The OOMN may serve as a liaison with relevant public health authorities and can facilitate Medical Access Orders (MAOs) to obtain worker medical records from employers and healthcare providers.

COVID-19 inspections will be treated as novel cases. The Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP) must be notified of all proposed citations and federal agency notices that relate to a COVID-19 exposure. State Plan designees should report any COVID-19 inspections to their regional offices.

All activity related to enforcement and compliance assistance must be appropriately coded to allow for tracking and program review. This includes COVID-19 activity, which should continue to be coded in the OSHA Information System (OIS) with the specific code: N-16-COVID-19.

Workplace Exposure Risk Levels and OSHA Enforcement

To determine the risk of exposure for compliance officers, OSHA has defined three risk categories—high, medium and low. These risk levels stem from the Occupational Risk Pyramid described in the OSHA’s Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.

High Risk of Exposure

Jobs considered to be at high or very high risk of exposure are those that involve known or suspected sources of COVID-19 during specific medical, postmortem or laboratory procedures.

Workplaces considered to have job duties with high risk of exposure to COVID-19 include:

  • Hospitals treating suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients;
  • Nursing homes;
  • Emergency medical centers;
  • Emergency response facilities;
  • Settings where home care or hospice care are provided;
  • Settings that handle human remains;
  • Biomedical laboratories, including clinical laboratories; and
  • Medical transport companies.

Aerosol-generating procedures, in particular, present a very high risk of exposure to workers. The aerosol-generating procedures for which engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) are necessary include, but are not limited to: bronchoscopy, sputum induction, nebulizer therapy, endotracheal intubation and extubation, open suctioning of airways, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and autopsies.

Medium Exposure Risk

Medium exposure-risk jobs include those with frequent or close contact with people who may be (but are not known to be) infected with COVID-19. “Close contact” refers to a distance of less than six feet. Workers in this risk group may have frequent contact with travelers returning from international locations with widespread COVID-19 transmission.

In areas where there is ongoing community transmission, workers in this category include, but are not limited to, those who have contact with the general public (such as in schools, high-population-density work environments and some high-volume retail settings).

Low Exposure Risk

Lower exposure risk jobs are those that do not require contact with people known to be, or suspected of being, infected with COVID-19 nor frequent close contact with the general public.

Workers in this category have minimal occupational contact with the public and other co-workers.

Complaints, Referrals and Rapid Response Investigations (RRIs)

Complaints and referrals for any operation alleging potential exposures to COVID-19 will be handled in accordance with established procedures, except that employers will be notified of alleged hazards or violations by telephone, fax, email or letter.

Through their phone or fax communications, area offices will direct employers to publicly available guidance on protective measures, such as OSHA’s COVID-19 webpage. As it deems appropriate, OSHA will forward complaint information to federal partners with concurrent interests.

OSHA Enforcement Fatalities and Imminent Dangers

Fatalities and imminent danger exposures related to COVID-19 will be prioritized for inspections, with particular attention given to health care organizations and first responders.

During the outbreak, formal complaints alleging unprotected exposures to COVID-19 for workers with a high or very high risk of transmission may warrant an on-site inspection. Area offices will prioritize resources and consider all relevant factors, including whether a complainant alleges inadequate PPE due to supply issues, in determining whether to perform a non-formal phone or fax investigation instead of an on-site inspection.

Other Formal Complaints

In general, most other formal complaints alleging COVID-19 exposure will not result in an on-site inspection if employees are engaged in tasks that involve medium or lower risk of exposure. In these cases, area offices will use the non-formal procedures for investigating alleged hazards.

However, employer-reported hospitalizations will be handled using RRIs in most cases.

Finally, employers should keep in mind that workers requesting inspections, complaining of COVID-19 exposure or reporting illnesses may be covered under one or more whistleblower statutes.

OSHA Enforcement of Inspection Scope, Scheduling, and Procedures

Inspection activities resulting from COVID-19-related complaints, referrals and employer-reported illnesses will primarily focus on facilities with jobs involving high and very high risk of exposure. OSHA aims to reassure employers that, during on-site inspections, compliance officers will take care to avoid interfering with any ongoing medical services.

Compliance officers will inspect facilities in a manner that minimizes or prevents exposure, such as by avoiding potential exposure to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. It is not generally necessary for compliance officers to enter patient rooms or airborne isolation areas. If compliance officers must enter a vacant, airborne-infection-isolation room (AIIR), sufficient time must lapse to allow for proper clearance of potentially infectious aerosols before they enter. Before entering an occupied AIIR or a recently vacated AIIR that has not been adequately purged, a compliance officer must discuss the issue with his or her area director.

Opening Conferences

To avoid unnecessary exposure, compliance officers may decide to conduct opening conferences over the phone. However, if an on-site opening conference is deemed appropriate, officers will attempt to use a designated, uncontaminated administrative area. If available, officers may also ask to speak to a facility’s infection control director, safety director or the health professional responsible for controlling occupational health hazards. Individuals who are responsible for providing records pertinent to an inspection may also be included in the opening conference or interviewed early in the inspection. These individuals may include, for example, facility administrators, training directors, facilities engineers, nursing directors and human resources personnel.

Program and Document Review

Compliance officers will strive to conduct the following electronically or remotely:

  • Determining whether an employer has a written pandemic plan as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If an employer’s plan is a part of another emergency preparedness plan, a compliance officer’s review does not need to be expanded to the entire emergency preparedness plan. The evaluation of an employer’s pandemic plan may be based on other written programs and, in a hospital, a review of its infection control plan.
  • Reviewing the facility’s procedures for hazard assessment and protocols for PPE use with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients.
  • Determining whether a workplace has handled specimens or evaluated, cared for, or treated suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. This will include a review of laboratory procedures for handling specimens and procedures for decontamination of surfaces.
  • Reviewing other relevant information, such as medical records related to worker exposure incidents, OSHA-required recordkeeping and any other pertinent information or documentation deemed appropriate by a compliance officer. This includes determining whether any employees have contracted COVID-19, have been hospitalized as a result of COVID-19, or have been placed on precautionary removal or isolation.
  • Reviewing a respiratory protection program and any modified respirator policies related to COVID-19 to assess compliance with respiratory protection standards.
  • Reviewing employee training records, including any records of training related to COVID-19 exposure prevention or made in preparation for a pandemic, if available.
  • Reviewing employer documentation of provisions made to obtain and provide appropriate and adequate supplies of PPE.
  • Determining whether a facility has airborne infection isolation rooms or areas and gathering information about an employer’s use of air pressure monitoring systems and any periodic testing procedures. This also includes reviewing any procedures for assigning patients to those rooms or areas and procedures to limit access to them by employees who are not trained or adequately outfitted with PPE.
  • Reviewing an employer’s procedures for transferring patients to other facilities in situations where appropriate isolation rooms or areas are unavailable or inoperable. This includes reviewing procedures for transferring COVID-19 patients from other facilities.
  • Establishing the numbers and placements of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients under isolation at the time of an inspection.
  • Establishing patterns of placements for confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients in the preceding 30 days.
  • Determining and documenting whether an employer has considered or implemented a hierarchy of controls for worker protection. This documentation can be done with photos or design specifications.

Walkaround

Based on information from program and document review and interviews, compliance officers will use professional judgment in determining which areas of a facility will be inspected. Compliance officers will avoid entering patient rooms or treatment areas while high-hazard procedures are being conducted.

Where practical, photographs or videotaping may be used for case documentation. However, compliance officers will take all necessary precautions to assure and protect patient privacy and confidentiality. Throughout their engagement with facilities treating a significant number of COVID-19 patients, compliance officers should take care to avoid interference with the facilities’ provision of ongoing medical services.

Private Interviews

As appropriate to an inspection, compliance officers may conduct private interviews with affected employees in uncontaminated areas. However, interviews will not take place in a room or area where a high-hazard procedure, such as bronchoscopy or sputum induction, is being or recently has been conducted. To the extent possible, compliance officers will practice social distancing during employee interviews. Also, when possible, officers may choose to conduct these interviews over the phone.

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OSHA Inspection Changes

OSHA Inspection Changes

OSHA Inspection Changes

On Oct. 1, 2019, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration began using a new OSHA Weighting System (OWS) for the 2020 fiscal year, creating OSHA inspection changes. The administration had used its previous weighting system since the 2015 fiscal year.

OSHA hopes that the OWS will encourage the appropriate allocation of resources to support its approach of balancing safety and health in the workplace. The new system is intended to develop and support a management system that focuses enforcement activities on areas where OSHA’s efforts can be most impactful.

OSHA Inspection

OSHA Inspection Changes and Adjustments

The OWS comes with several adjustments and adaptions compared with its predecessor, including additional enforcement initiatives, such as site-specific targeting. The new system also encourages the agency’s field staff to conduct compliance-assistance activities.

Previously, OSHA inspections were weighted heavily based on the amount of time that they took to conduct. With the OWS, OSHA is hoping to make time less of a factor when weighting the potential impact of an inspection while emphasizing other factors that have an effect on overall workplace safety and health.

The new OSHA Inspection Changes have been formulated based on a working group’s recommendations and evaluation of existing criteria.

OSHA Inspection

What has Changed?

The previous weighting system measured inspections using enforcement units. The OWS will continue to tally enforcement units, but will do so based on different factors, such as agency priorities and the impact of inspections. OSHA hopes that the OWS will further its goal of taking a balanced approach toward workplace health and safety and will properly incorporate the three major work elements performed by its field agents: enforcement activity, essential enforcement support functions and compliance-assistance efforts.

“Moving forward, inspections will be weighted based on a combination of factors, such as if the inspection targets a highly hazardous workplace, if it is conducted as part of a strategic hazard emphasis program or by the complexity of the inspection.”

According to OSHA, the changes in how inspections will be weighted under the OWS will make it impossible to fairly compare total enforcement units moving forward to numbers from past years. For example, the new system gives additional weight to programmed inspections targeting what the agency calls the “fatal four/focus four,” which refers to the leading causes of workplace fatalities: Falls, struck-by object, electrocutions and caught-in/between.

Under the previous system, the 2016-18 fiscal years consisted of 40,199, 38,692 and 38,760 total enforcement units respectively. If applied to the new system, those numbers would have all been over 60,000. OSHA does plan to apply the OWS retroactively for past years and compare both methods in order to assess the performance and appropriateness of the new system.

OSHA Inspection Changes Moving Forward

Moving forward, OSHA inspections will be weighted based on a combination of factors, such as if the inspection targets a highly hazardous workplace, if it is conducted as part of a strategic hazard emphasis program or by the complexity of the inspection.

Overall, OSHA’s goal for the OWS is to put an emphasis on enforcement and compliance assistance in order for the agency and its agents to be able to be proactive in promoting safety and health in the workplace, rather than being reactive to incidents after they have occurred.

Click here to read OSHA’s official press release regarding the OWS. For additional information from the agency, click here.

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OSHA Electronic Reporting Changes and Due Date

OSHA Electronic Reporting Changes and Due Date

OSHA Electronic Reporting Changes and Due Date

On Jan. 25, 2019, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule formalizing changes to its electronic reporting requirements. Previously, establishments with 250 or more employees were going to be required to electronically submit data from their OSHA Forms 300 and 301 every year, in addition to data from Form 300A.

These requirements were originally part of OSHA’s 2016 final rule on electronic reporting but have never been enforced. OSHA first announced its intent to remove them in May 2018 and, in the meantime, has accepted electronic data from Form 300A only. The new final rule confirms that OSHA will not require electronic data from Forms 300 and 301 in the future.

OSHA Electronic Reporting Due By March 2

Each year, employers that are subject to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) electronic reporting requirements must submit data from their OSHA Form 300A (“Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses”) from the previous calendar year, using OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA). For 2018 information, OSHA started accepting electronic submissions as of Jan. 2, 2019.

Employers have until March 2, 2019, to complete their 2018 electronic reports. These requirements apply to:

  • Covered establishments in a high-risk industry with 20-249 employees; and
  • Covered establishments with 250 or more employees.   
  • This is the first year that electronic reports are due on March 2.
  • 2017 data was due by July 1, 2018, because OSHA’s 2016 final rule phased-in its deadlines until 2019.  
  • Electronic reports will continue to be due on March 2 for future years.
  • OSHA is not accepting electronic data from Forms 300 and 301.

ACTION STEPS

Employers subject to OSHA electronic reporting should begin entering data from their 2018 OSHA Forms 300A into OSHA’s ITA and ensure that all of the information is correctly entered and submitted by March 2, 2019.

OSHA Electronic Reporting

On May 12, 2016, OSHA issued a final rule that requires certain establishments to electronically submit information about work-related injuries, illnesses and incidents through the agency’s ITA website every year. The electronic reporting requirements apply to:

The electronic reporting rule also applies to establishments that receive a specific request from OSHA to create, maintain and submit electronic records, even if they would otherwise be exempt from OSHA recordkeeping requirements.

Under the 2016 rule, all covered establishments must electronically submit information from their OSHA Forms 300A every year. The rule also required covered establishments with 250 or more employees to electronically submit information from their OSHA Forms 300 and 301. Due to concerns about employee privacy, however, OSHA delayed its enforcement of the electronic reporting requirements for these two forms. In July 2018, the agency proposed removing them from the final rule altogether and announced that it would not enforce the final rule’s deadlines for Forms 300 and 301 without further notice.  

Workers Compensation Insurance

New Final OSHA Electronic Reporting Rule

OSHA’s new final rule, issued on Jan. 25, 2019, makes it official – OSHA will not require electronic submission of information from Forms 300 and 301. The change affects establishments with 250 or more employees only, since these were the only employers that would have been required to provide information from those forms under the 2016 final rule. However, these establishments, along with all other establishments subject to the electronic reporting rule, must still electronically submit 2018 information from Form 300A using OSHA’s ITA website.

In addition, all establishments subject to OSHA’s routine recordkeeping requirements must still record and keep information on Forms 300 and 301. The routine recordkeeping requirements apply to employers that are not in a partially exempt industry and have more than 10 employees. 

Finally, OSHA’s new final rule also amended the 2016 electronic reporting rule to require covered employers to submit their Employer Identification Number (EIN) electronically along with their injury and illness data submission. According to OSHA, this new requirement will facilitate the agency’s use of the electronically submitted data, and may help reduce duplicative employer reporting.

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Construction Industry OSHA Requirements

Construction Industry OSHA Requirements

Construction Industry OSHA Requirements

Employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace. They must provide their employees with a workplace that does not have serious hazards, and that follows all relevant OSHA safety and health standards. Following the construction industry OSHA requirements not only helps your employees, but is the law.

Employers must comply with specific standards. All employers in the construction industry must also have injury and illness prevention programs. Contractors and employers that do construction work must comply with standards in 29 CFR 1926. Subpart C, General Safety and Health Provisions.

Other specific sections of these standards:

  • Includes the responsibilities for each contractor/employer to initiate and maintain injury and illness prevention programs.
  • Provide for a competent person to conduct frequent and regular inspections. Instruct each employee to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions and know what regulations are applicable to the work environment.
  • Employees must be provided training in a language and vocabulary they can understand.

OSHA Worksite Investigations

OSHA conducts on-site inspections of worksites to enforce the Construction Industry OSHA requirements and law that protects workers and their rights. Inspections are initiated without advance notice, conducted using on-site or telephone and facsimile investigations and performed by highly trained compliance officers.

Worksite inspections are conducted based on the following priorities:

  1. Imminent danger
  2. A fatality or hospitalizations
  3. Worker complaints and referrals
  4. Targeted inspections—particular hazards, high injury rates
  5. Follow-up inspections

Inspections are conducted without employers knowing when or where they will occur. The employer is not informed in advance that there will be an inspection, regardless of whether it is in response to a complaint or is a programmed inspection.

Download Our OSHA Guide for the Construction Industry

OSHA Compliance Guide

Does your broker provide you with timely updates on new and revised OSHA regulations?

  • OSHA constantly updates its standards and requirements, and even a single update can drastically impact the construction industry and your regular operations. We can provide you with attorney-reviewed documents that outline your obligations, making it easy for you to focus on your construction projects instead of complicated OSHA rules.

Are you prepared for an unannounced OSHA inspection?

  • If an OSHA inspection finds violations at one of your construction sites, you could face fines and watch your reputation plummet. We can offer you construction-specific compliance resources and inspection guides to help you address potential issues before they occur.

Does your business comply with OSHA’s hazard communication standards?

  • Construction employees often have to work with or around hazardous substances, and even one incident can lead to serious injuries and costly fines. Our clients have access to construction-specific toolbox talks and articles, as well as workplace posters and hazard communication programs that can ensure your business is compliant with OSHA standards.

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