The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final rule to increase protections for construction workers in confined spaces.
The agency says the rule, which matches those in manufacturing and other industries, could protect nearly 800 construction workers a year from serious injuries and reduce life-threatening hazards.
The rule applies to areas including manholes, crawl spaces, tanks, and other confined spaces that are not intended for continuous occupancy and are difficult to exit in an emergency.
People working in confined spaces face life-threatening hazards including toxic substances, electrocutions, explosions, and asphyxiation. The agency cited a case last year in which two workers were asphyxiated while repairing leaks in a manhole. The new rule was devised to prevent such incidents.
The new regulations include requirements to ensure that multiple employers share vital safety information and to continuously monitor hazards—a safety option made possible by technological advances after the manufacturing and general industry standards were originally created.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 29, 2019
New timber traceability LEED credit released
Pilot credit aims to reduce use of illegal wood in buildings.
Codes and Standards | Mar 28, 2019
Swinerton forms new mass timber business group
Will pursue new projects being developed with mass timber.
Codes and Standards | Mar 27, 2019
Shortage of skilled construction workers resulting in missed deadlines
Some 40% of contractors have turned down project offers.
Codes and Standards | Mar 25, 2019
ICC release 2019 guidelines for safe use of repurposed shipping containers
Provides in-depth, technical overview on how to design, review, and approve shipping containers as building elements.
Codes and Standards | Mar 22, 2019
Tool helps cities develop framework for life-cycle energy policies and track progress
Identifies policies, funding sources to address building energy use.
Codes and Standards | Mar 21, 2019
New York City contractors adding 5% to 10% to construction costs due to trade war
Tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other materials swell budgets.
Codes and Standards | Mar 20, 2019
Codes organizations to develop new guidelines on shipping containers as building components
Intl. Code Council and Modular Building Institute combine forces.
Codes and Standards | Mar 19, 2019
Plan for transformation of Lower Manhattan streetscapes unveiled
Pedestrian-friendly “Slow Streets” pilot starts on Earth Day 2019.
Codes and Standards | Mar 15, 2019
Newly developed building materials could have big impact on sustainability
Transparent wood, self-cooling walls, bricks that filter air pollutants among the technological breakthroughs.
Codes and Standards | Mar 14, 2019
U.S. and Canada differ on how to evaluate field performance of windows, curtain walls
Variations include laboratory test method for determining rate of air leakage.
