OSHA final rule corrects errors in standards

Washington — OSHA has issued corrections for its Walking-Working Surfaces, Personal Protective Equipment and Special Industries standards to remove “typographical, formatting and clerical errors,” publishing a final rule in the Dec. 17 Federal Register.

In its Personal Fall Protection Systems Standard (1910.140), OSHA no longer requires the gate strength of snaphooks and carabiners to be proof tested to 3,600 pounds in all directions. Instead, the “intended requirement” is that the gate of carabiners and snaphooks are “capable of withstanding a minimum load of 3,600 pounds without the gate separating from the nose of the snaphook or carabiner body by more than 0.125 inches.”

OSHA made the correction to remain consistent with the ANSI/ASSE Z359.12-2009 standard. The agency warns that proof testing the gates may cause damage to the equipment and make them unsafe.

The other corrections:

• Ladders, 1910.23(d)(4): The previous rule required that “the side rails of through or side-step ladders extend 42 inches above the top of an access level or landing platform served by the ladder.” The agency has added the words “at least” before “42 inches.”
• Stairways, 1910.25(a): OSHA clarified that articulated stairs are not covered by this standard, and added a title to Figure D-8 in 1910.25(c).
• Scaffolds and Rope Descent Systems, 1910.27(b)(1)(i): The agency corrected the metric equivalent of 5,000 pounds to 2,268 kilograms. It previously was listed as 268 kg.
• Fall Protection Systems and Falling Object Protection – Criteria and Practices, 1910.29: OSHA corrected Figure D-11 to include labels for the “top rail” and “end post.”
• Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution, 1910.269(h)(2): The agency changed the incorrect references to ladder standards to 1910.23(c)(4) and (c)(9).

The corrections took effect Dec. 17.