improving the quality of life
This installment in our blog series on new OSHA fall protection regulations focuses on common questions related to fall hazard assessments. One of the most significant requirements provided in the new rule is the stated need for the assessment of fall hazards, as outlined in 1910.132(d). It’s important to note that this is an existing […]
Fixed ladders are among the many aspects of fall protection that are impacted by the recently published OSHA 1910 regulations. While the regulation went into effect on January 17, OSHA is allowing time to get your organization into compliance. While some minor changes are required for clearances, rung spacing, step-across distance, and other ladder design […]
In a recent fall protection peer group session, we asked a question that received a surprisingly unanimous answer. When asked for the primary reason fall hazards get addressed, every participant said the same thing – when issues are brought forward by workers. We were surprised that every participating organization took such a reactive approach to […]
After our recent series of webinars on fall hazard risk assessments, we have had a number of requests for a recorded version. If you attended and would like to review the presentation, or would like to pass the information on to your colleagues, the presentation can be viewed here. I hope the content will help […]
During a recent webinar on fall hazard risk assessments, one of the participants asked, “What is unacceptable risk?” It’s a very difficult question, and your perspective matters a lot when you answer it. The way I answered then and would answer again harkens back to a famous judgment from Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart in […]
Sometimes when we first start talking to clients about fall hazard risk assessments, they wonder if it’s really feasible or practical to identify ALL their hazards. Considering that we have identified more than 5,000 hazards at a single site before, I can understand how identifying all hazards could seem overwhelming. But, it’s not only feasible, […]
Even though regulations and standards talk about the value of fall hazard risk assessments as a critical step in a successful fall protection program, organizations around the world still continue to throw money, time and resources toward the first fall hazard that is brought to their attention. I can’t deny that there’s value in abating all […]
The Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Dr. David Michaels, held a public Web chat in late April to discuss the priorities for OSHA at this time. According to Dr. Michaels, one of OSHA’s primary focuses involves changes to the requirements for hazard identification. This month, stakeholders for an Injury and Illness Prevention Standard (i2p2) […]
In LJB’s experience with fall hazard risk assessments, we have found that a majority of the total fall hazard risk for a given organization can often be represented by a relatively small number of individual hazards. So, one of the primary values that comes from performing an assessment is the knowledge of which hazards you […]
FAQs on new OSHA Fall Protection Regulations: Vol. 4 – Assessments II
Following up on Volume 3 in our series, this installment answers additional questions related to the new requirement for conducting fall hazard assessments. When does the assessment need to be complete? Technically, the new regulation became rule in January 2017, so it is theoretically required now. If you don’t have documentation of a compliant assessment […]