Changes in the 2005 Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Standards for Construction aren’t significant for most contractors. But that’s no excuse for not being aware of regulation updates or existing standards – ignorance won’t relieve a hefty fine.
OSHA updates its construction regulation standards every year, despite a multi-year time frame for most major revisions. Because changes occur annually, many contractors and subcontractors could misinterpret the importance of minor adjustments, or simply disregard them.
Edward Pachico, associate director of safety and health services for AGC, said most of the changes made to 2005 OSHA construction standards aren’t going to affect contractors directly.
However, Pachico said contractors could be fined Contractors can be fined if they do not use the consensus standard referenced in the OSHA standard/regulation. A contractor that used the most up-to-date standard could be fined if the OSHA regulation states that they must comply with the 1968 version of the consensus standard, even if the old version was no longer used and was not available for purchase.
“It can become extremely confusing when an OSHA regulation refers to compliance with only some sections of a consensus standard but not others,” he said.
Pachico said most were simply deletions of outdated references, such as the elimination of two references to a non-existing table in Section 1926.307.
Chip Murray, safety director with the Carolina chapter of AGC, said OSHA doesn’t promote standards as much as it needs to. He said AGC and other contractor organizations are the liaisons between their members and OSHA.
