OSHA began its Standards Improvement Project (SIP) in 1995 with the goal of streamlining its own rules, increasing compliance, and lifting some burdens from employers. SIP has undergone four revisions over the years, with the most recent announced last week. The agency estimates the latest revisions will save employers $6 million a year, though some revisions may not be applicable to every contractor. Construction Dive analyzed several of the major revisions and how they impact contractors in the industry.
Reporting Job-Related Hearing Loss
In this section, OSHA is adding a cross-reference to another standard's analysis that will help physicians and other licensed health professional determine if a case of hearing loss is work-related. The change, OSHA said, simply reinforces the requirement that if an event or exposure caused or contributed to new hearing loss or aggravated preexisting hearing loss, the hearing loss must be considered work-related.
911 Emergency Services at Worksites
Contractors will still have to post telephone numbers for ambulances and other emergency responders at each worksite in areas where 911 emergency dispatch services are not available. But, given the proliferation of cell phones since the standard was last revised, they also will have to post location information at jobs in areas that do not have Enhanced 911, which automatically provides the caller's location to dispatchers.
This revision also requires employers to ensure that the system they will rely on to call for an ambulance is effective at the jobsite. For instance, if the call will be made via cell phone, the employer must make sure there is reliable service at the jobsite location.
Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs)
There are permissible exposure limits for a wide variety of substances designated outside of OSHA's Part 1926, which is the construction-specific standard. However, the agency is correcting and clarifying this section to eliminate confusion and better align the standard with PELs in other OSHA standards.
Collection of Social Security Numbers
In order to protect the privacy of employees and to help prevent identity fraud, OSHA has removed the requirement that employee Social Security numbers be included on exposure monitoring, medical surveillance and other records. All in all, the agency is removing the Social Security number requirement from 19 standards, including those related to asbestos, lead, bloodborne pathogens and respirable crystalline silica.
