The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced July 9 a 60-day temporary enforcement policy of its Confined Spaces in Construction standard, effective Aug. 3. The announcement postpones full enforcement of the new standard to Oct. 2 in order to allow for additional time to train and acquire the equipment necessary to comply with the new rule.

For employers, this means that OSHA will not issue citations to employers during the 60-day temporary period who make good faith efforts to comply with the new standard and are in compliance with either the training requirements of the new standard or the previous standard. 

OSHA defines an employer who is “making good faith efforts to comply” include: 

• scheduling training for employees as required by the new standard; 
• ordering the equipment necessary to comply with the new standard; and 
• taking alternative measures to educate and protect employees from confined space hazards.

Employers who fail to train their employees consistent with either of these two standards will be cited.

For more information on confined spaces in construction, join our free webinar Aug. 4 at 2 p.m. (ET) to hear from OSHA Regulatory Analyst, Jessica Douma, will educate ABC members what safety precautions employers are required to take when their workers are engaged in construction work in confined spaces.