Ready For The New Strict OSHA Directive In Residential Construction?

“Fatalities from falls are the number one cause of workplace deaths in construction. We cannot tolerate workers getting killed in residential construction when effective means are readily available to prevent those deaths,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “Almost every week, we see a worker killed from falling off a residential roof. We can stop these fatalities, and we must.”
Are you ready for the new strict OSHA directive in residential construction?

On December 22, 2010 Federal OSHA rescinded a fifteen year directive (STD 03-00-001) to try to stop the current fall/fatality rate; the new directive (STD 03-11-002) will start March 15, 2013. This means nationwide, that whenever people are working in residential construction and are at least six feet above lower levels, they must be protected by conventional fall protection. Fall protection plans must be written out and site-specific.

Employers in residential construction who still want to use alternative fall protection must meet all the requirements of OSHA standard 1926.501(b)(13) and 1926.502(k).

OSHA Compliance

OSHA RECOGNIZES THE WHALEN-JACK AS MEETING ALL REQUIREMENTS AS A SCAFFOLDING/FALL PROTECTION CARPENTER’S BRACKET (click to view)

The construction industry is one of the most hazardous business sectors in the United States: A whopping 1 out of 10 construction workers is injured every year. What poses the greatest risk? Fall hazards. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that falls are the single leading cause of accidents and fatalities in the construction industry.

According to NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), the construction industry suffers 1,224 fatal work injuries a year – the most job-related fatalities of any industry sector.

* Occupational Health and Safety Administration data.

APA Approval

APA APPROVAL FOR THE WHALEN-JACK (click to view).

“Shear wall and horizontal diaphragm design values are fundamentally based on the nailed connection attaching the wood structural panels to framing members. The strength of the sheathing in typical shear walls and diaphragms is far greater than the shear force that could possibly be transferred by fasteners. We would anticipate a single 1-1/2-inch hole drilled into APA-rated Sheathing would have no effect on shear wall capacity. We would recommend holes not be placed close to panel edges.”