OSHA seeks volunteers to assist small business panel on emergency response

Washington — OSHA is planning to convene a small business panel on Oct. 4 to discuss a potential standard on emergency response, the Small Business Administration has announced.

According to an SBA alert issued Aug. 11, the possible standard “could apply to employers that designate employees to provide emergency response services that are currently covered by OSHA’s Fire Brigades standard or are not specifically covered by another OSHA standard.” Those employers may include emergency service organizations such as firefighting, fire rescue, emergency medical services, technical rescue, vehicle/machinery rescue, water rescue/recovery, and search and rescue.

The standard also could apply to general industry employers that have or are planning to establish a workplace emergency response team, also known as an industrial, emergency or facility fire brigade; industrial fire department; emergency response team; fire team; or plant emergency organization.

“This standard would not apply to employers that provide only those emergency services which are already covered in certain respects by other OSHA standards,” the alert states.

Additionally, the standard could cover construction, general industry or maritime employers who are expecting to enter into a mutual aid agreement or contract to provide skilled support personnel during an emergency incident.

The SBA Office of Advocacy is seeking “small-entity” stakeholders who represent these potentially regulated sectors to assist the OSHA panel in its review of this possible regulation.

“Small entity representatives, or SERS, may include small businesses, small nonprofit organizations and small governmental jurisdictions,” the alert states.