The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced its plans to require improved worker protection from tripping, slipping and falling hazards on walking and working surfaces in a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published in today’s Federal Register. A public hearing on the revised changes will be held after the public comment period for the NPRM.

The Department proposed revisions to the Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment Standards to help prevent an estimated annual 20 workplace fatalities and more than 3,500 injuries which cause people to miss work. The revised standards would require general industry workers to be provided with fall protection devices such as self-retracting lanyards and ladder safety and rope descent systems.  Under the revised standards OSHA inspectors would have new powers to fine employers who let workers climb certain ladders without proper fall protection.

More information about the proposed changes is available in the Federal Register notice at http://s.dol.gov/3J.   General information about OSHA is found at http://www.osha.gov/.