A new confined spaces in construction standard was set to become effective August 3, 2015 by

the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This

week, however, OSHA has announced a 50-day temporary enforcement policy of this update,

now delaying the full enforcement of the new standard until October 2, 2015. This should give

companies addition time to train employees and to acquire the necessary equipment to comply.

During this temporary enforcement period, an employer must either be in compliance with the

new training requirements or the previous. If employers fail to meet either standard, then

citations will be issued. In addition, employers must prove they have made good faith efforts to

comply with the new standard. To prove a good faith effort, an employer must: schedule training

for employees as required by the new standard; order the equipment necessary to comply with

the new standard; and take alternative measures to educate and protect employees from confined

space hazards.

If you are in the construction industry and are unsure how these changes will impact your

business, and what, if any, updates need to be made to your confined spaces policies and

procedures, it is advisable to consult a third party occupational safety and health auditing firm.

These firms can review your current policies and procedures and compare them to what the

current and future requirements are, helping you to create effective policies. Additionally, they

can help you to update your training processes and help you get any required equipment to

remain compliant.

If you have any questions about this temporary enforcement policy or how it impacts you, please

contact us. If you have anything to add about the temporary enforcement policy for confined

spaces in construction, please leave a comment.