If you recall back in mid November, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final rule to update its 44-year old general industry Walking-Working Surfaces standard that protects workers from slip, trip, and fall hazards.
Going into effect on January 17, 2017, the new final rule updates walking-working surfaces standards and establishes personal fall protection requirements to increase consistency in safety and health standards for people working in both general and construction industries. The rule’s most significant update is allowing employers to select the fall protection system that works best for them, choosing from a range of accepted options. OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels says, “The final rule will increase workplace protection from those hazards, especially fall hazards, which are a leading cause of worker deaths and injuries”. OSHA estimates the final rule will prevent more than 5,800 injuries a year.
For more information, here is OSHA’s press release regarding the update.