Coming on the heels of an increased push to educate, monitor and discipline contractors and subcontractors on the new standards that are now in force by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Construction sites have long been among the most dangerous workplace environments and have increased their standards of safety in hopefully decrease the number of injuries and deaths related to falls on a construction site.
To help further facilitate and increase the knowledge of the new rules that are set in place, OSHA now has a new webpage (www.osha.gov/stopfalls/index.html) that focuses solely on preventing falls in the construction industry. Readers will be provided with educational materials that will train employers and employees in planning and implementing job safety precautions and to help eliminate some of the fall hazards that have been common place.
The probation period for commercial construction to come into compliance with these new standards has now ended and construction employers must now be in full compliance with these OSHA standards or face severe fines and penalties. Residential construction has until December 15, 2012 to come into full compliance.