The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a final rule that revises 14 provisions in the recordkeeping, general industry, maritime and construction standards that may be confusing, outdated or unnecessary, according to www.osha.gov. The revisions are expected to increase understanding and compliance with the provisions, improve employee safety and health, and save employers an estimated $6.1 million per year.
OSHA proposed the changes in October 2016. This is the fourth final rule under OSHA's Standards Improvement Project, which began in 1995 in response to a presidential memorandum to improve government regulations. Other revisions were issued in 1998, 2005 and 2011.
Some revisions involving the construction industry include aligning the breaking strength requirement for lifelines in Subpart E, Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment, with the 5,000-pound requirement for lifelines in Subpart M; eliminating employer information collection requirements as they pertain to workers' Social Security numbers in several OSHA standards; and adding a digital radiography option in the construction asbestos regulation to the current analog film-based language.
