What You Need to Know about OSHA’s Walking-Working Rule

Answers to commonly asked questions about changes made to walking-working surfaces final rule

So what is OSHA doing to protect workers from falls?

OSHA plans to protect all general industry workers from falls with new rules designed to prevent 29 fatalities and 5,842 lost-workday injuries every year. In order to make this a reality, OSHA issued a final rule updating the existing standards set forth 46 years ago on Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems.

This final rule will update, align, and provide greater flexibility to workers in the general industry. The final rule also creates balance between the construction and general industry requirements – making it easier and less expensive to comply for employers.

Updates include the general industry standards addressing slip, trip, and fall hazards (subpart D), and adds requirements for personal fall protection systems (subpart 1).

With this final rule on walking-working surfaces, employers now can incorporate a combination of technology, industry best practices, and national consensus standards to provide effective and cost-efficient worker protection.

When was the effective date?

The final rule became effective on January 17, 2017, which was 60 days after the publication in the
Federal Register, per OSHA. Employers now have several requirement dates in the final rule that include compliancy started on
May 17, 2017.

The dates for the Subpart D Section are as follows:

  • May 17, 2017 – Train workers on fall and equipment hazards
  • November 20, 2017 – Inspection and certification of permanent building anchorages
  • November 19, 2018 – Installation of fall protection (personal fall arrest systems, ladder safety systems, cages, wells) on existing fixed ladders over 24 FT that don’t have fall protection
  • November 19, 2018 – Installation of ladder safety or personal fall arrest systems on new fixed ladders over 24 FT and replacement ladders/ladder sections
  • November 18, 2036 – Installation of ladder safety systems or personal fall arrest systems on all fixed ladders over 24 FT

Who is protected under the Walking-Working final rule?

Employers who need to comply with the final rule include those in the  general industry  ranging from building management services, roofers, utility workers to chimney sweepers – just to name a few.

The new rule applies to all general industry workers and includes surfaces that are horizontal and vertical such as, floors, stairs, roofs, ladders, ramps, scaffolds, elevated walkways, and fall protection systems.

How will this final rule keep your employers safe?

One of the major changes on the final rule is to eliminating the existing mandate to use guardrails as a primary fall protection method.  Employers are allowed to choose an accepted fall protection systems they trust will work best for their workers. The construction industry has had success in using this method since 1994 for preventing work-related falls.

Here are some other ways the worker is protected, per OSHA:

  • Eliminating the hazard of workers climbing extended heights on fixed ladders without fall protection by phasing out the use of qualified climbers in outdoor advertising
  • Phases in a requirement that fixed ladders (over 24 feet) must be equipped with ladder safety or personal fall protection systems to prevent workers from falling or arresting their fall before contract with a lower level
  • Requires the use of body harnesses, and prohibits body belts, in personal fall arrest systems to distribute fall arrest forces over a larger area of a work’s body
  • Requires workers who use personal fall protection and other equipment the standard covers be trained, and retrained as necessary, in fall and equipment hazards before they work at elevated heights or use that equipment, including fall protection systems.

You can create a safer workforce for your employees—so more workers go home safe!

For more information about the major changes to the general industry walking-working surfaces final rule, check out OSHA.

ComplianceSigns.com is here to help you keep your workers safe and informed.