The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a 60-day temporary enforcement policy of its Confined Spaces in Construction standard, according to a Department of Labor press release. The temporary enforcement becomes effective August 3, 2015.
The decision to postpone full enforcement of the new standard to October 2, 2015 came after the agency received requests from contractors for additional time to train and acquire the equipment necessary to comply with the rule.
During this period, employers who make good faith efforts to comply with the standard will not be issued a citation, however they must be in compliance with either the new or previous standard. Good faith includes scheduling training for employees, ordering equipment, and taking alternative measures to educate and protect employees from confined space hazards.
Read more about the final rule and its implementation over at sister publication Remodeling.Read More