As of January 1, new OSHA rules took effect requiring employers to report all work-related fatalities within eight hours and all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and eye-losses within 24 hours of being made aware of the incident. This is a new approach for the agency, but Assistant Secretary of Labor, Dr. David Michaels, explains that the new process will allow OSHA to engage in conversations with the employers to identify and eliminate workplace hazards. Keeping the discussion open will help determine how to best keep tower crews safe. Early last month, OSHA held an Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) meeting, so the members of the ACCSH could provide advice and assistance to OSHA regarding construction standards and how employers will record injuries. Previously, employers were required to report all workplace fatalities and when three or more workers were hospitalized in the same incident.
Reader Interactions