‘Big impact’: OSHA aims to issue final rule on walking/working surfaces in August
Washington – OSHA’s final rule on preventing slips, trips and falls is scheduled for publication in August, according to the spring regulatory agenda released May 18.
The agenda lists projected dates and steps for all OSHA regulatory actions, and those dates frequently are missed. However, the agency has targeted the final rule on Walking Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems as a priority before President Barack Obama leaves office.
“Walking working surfaces and fall protection – general industry will have a big impact. We know that,” OSHA administrator David Michaels told Safety+Health on May 12.
The proposed rule was published in 2010. It replaced a proposed rule that was released in 1990 but was later determined to be out of date based on feedback received during a comment period in 2003.
OSHA has set a publication date of October for a final rule intended to clarify for employers that “the duty to make and maintain accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses is an ongoing obligation.”
