6 Changes You Might See from OSHA in 2019
June 19, 2024
6 Changes You Might See from OSHA in 2019
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is a critical part of the United States Department of Labor that sets and enforces standards to ensure safe and healthful working conditions. The administration constantly evaluates rules and regulations in order to make sure that safety is at the forefront of company policy. Companies must be in compliance with the organization’s regulations in order to avoid citations and heavy fines, as well as to ensure a safer environment for their employees.
OSHA regulates a number of industry items and practices, such as industrial safety equipment, communication practices, and fall protection standards. As a business in the industrial and construction industry, it is critical to stay on top of changes to the organization’s policies. As we look toward the future, 2019 may bring a number of changes in regards to safety and health regulations from OSHA.
Final Rule for Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
In July of last year, OSHA published a proposed rule to remove provisions to the Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses final rule. Under this proposal, OSHA would remove the requirement to electronically submit information from the OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) for establishments with 250 or more employees. Instead, employers would only be required to submit data from the OSHA form 300A. The finalized rule is expected to be published in June 2019.
Final Rule for the Standards Improvement Project
In the works since 2012, the final rule on the Standards Improvement Project will remove or revise duplicative, unnecessary, and inconsistent safety and health standards in OSHA’s recordkeeping, general industry, maritime, and construction standards. Along with this provision, OSHA has also proposed removing the requirement that employers include an employee's social security number (SSN) on exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, and other records.
Prerule Stage for Mechanical Power Presses Update
The existing standard for mechanical power presses is over 40 years old, and it does not address technological changes or the use of hydraulic or pneumatic power presses. OSHA intends to review the existing regulations and determine which are outdated, ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome and plans to modify, streamline, expand, or repeal them.
Prerule Stage for Powered Industrial Trucks
Commonly found in industrial worksites, powered industrial trucks refer to fork trucks, tractors, and lift trucks, among others. The standards for these vehicles date back to 1969 and only account for 11 types of trucks. Today, there are 19. OSHA will develop a proposed rule to update the consensus standard from the 1969 version of the American National Standard B56.1 to the 2016 version.
Prerule Stage for Communication Tower Safety
The fatality rate for the communication tower industry is extremely high despite the relatively small number of employees. And, as a result of advancements in cellular technology, the number of construction projects taking place on communication towers will increase over the next few years. Based on a recent request for information, OSHA concluded that requirements for fall protection and personnel hoisting may not cover all dangers of communication tower construction or maintenance activities. Information collected from a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel will be used to identify effective work practices and advances in engineering technology that will be used to address certain safety and health concerns.
Proposed Rule for an Update to the Hazard Communication Standard
OSHA is conducting rulemaking to harmonize the Hazards Communication Standard (HCS) to the latest edition of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), as well as codify several enforcement policies that have been issued since the 2012 HCS standard. The GHS is the result of a long-term project to negotiate a globally harmonized approach to classifying chemical hazards and providing labels and safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals.
Stay OSHA Compliant with Stronghold Safety Engineering
With OSHA constantly evolving and updating rules and regulations, it’s more important than ever to keep up with evolving process requirements. A machine guarding assessment from Stronghold Safety is a valuable first step in identifying your risks, designing a custom safety plan, and implementing solutions that will protect your employees and deliver maximum ROI. Rather than waiting until you receive a citation, complete a machine safeguarding assessment to help your company stay proactive and ahead of the risks, while providing a safer workplace for your employees. Contact us today to get started.