New Regulations: OSHA Revised Rocordkeeping Regulation; New Steel Erection Standard
January 2001

New Regulations !!!
At the last minute, just before the new administration came into office, OSHA announced the revision of three regulations. Part of our staff’s job is ensure that our members are up-to-date on OSHA standards and regulations. Therefore, we are pleased to make this overview of the revisions available to our members.
Outlined in this Safety Alert are the highlights of the Recordkeeping and Steel Erection updates.

OSHA Revised Recordkeeping Regulation:
• Becomes effective 1/1/02, when the OSHA 200 log will be replaced by the OSHA 300 log.
• Allows employers more flexibility in using computers to meet OSHA Regulatory Requirements.
• Establishes one set of criteria for recording both work-related injuries and work-related illnesses.
• Issues new definitions of medical treatment, first aid and restricted work activity.
• Requires a significant degree of aggravation before a pre-existing injury or illness becomes recordable.
• Clarifies the recording of "light duty" on restricted work cases.
• Requires employers to record all needle stick and sharp injuries involving contamination by another person’s blood or body fluids.
• Modifies the definition of "lost work days." Effective 1/1/02, they will be counted by calendar days, not workdays and the cap is 180 days.
• Clarifies reporting of fatalities and multiple hospitalization (three or more employees) incidents.
• Explains partial exemptions for maintaining the log based on number of employers (10 or fewer) and employers who are exempt due to Standard Industrial Codes (SIC).

New Steel Erection Standard
OSHA expects this new standard to prevent 30 fatalities and 1,142 injuries annually, and to save employers nearly $40 million a year.

The new standard covers structural steel and ornamental steel erection. It does not apply to electric transmission towers, communications towers, broadcast towers, water towers or tanks.

The effective date of 7/17/01 requires employers to address:

  1. Site layout and construction sequence
  2. Site-specific reaction plan
  3. Hoisting and rigging
  4. Structural steel assembly
  5. Column anchorage
  6. Beams and columns
  7. Open web steel joists
  8. Systems-engineered metal buildings
  9. Falling object protection
10. Fall Protection

• Controlled decking zones (CDZ)
• Decks protected at heights greater than two stories or 30’
• Connectors between 15’ and 30’ must wear fall protection equipment and be tied off or provided with other means of fall protection.
• All others must have fall protection at heights of 15’ or greater.

If you have any questions on this or any other safety and health issue, please call your local area representative or the Lovell Safety Office at 212/709-8600.

R.J.LaBombard