• Read more about #971 - Balfour Beatty Construction - 14th Street and Spring Street Project

• Read more about #949 - Holder Construction Company - Newton County Georgia Project Partnership

• Read more about #915 - Holbrook of Woodstock Choate Construction Company Partnership

• Read more about #883 - Holder Construction Company - State Farm Park Center Phase II Project

Question: Why are only "dwellings" considered "residential construction"?

Answer:

Limiting the scope of 1926.501(b)(13) to the construction of homes/dwellings comports with the plain meaning of the term "residential" in the text of that paragraph and is consistent with OSHA's intent in promulgating that provision.

Question: What is "residential construction"?

Answer:

The Agency's interpretation of "residential construction" for purposes of 1926.501(b)(13) combines two elements – both of which must be satisfied for a project to fall under that provision:

• The end-use of the structure being built must be as a home, i.e., a dwelling; and
• The structure being built must be constructed using traditional wood frame construction materials and methods.

The limited use of structural steel in a predominantly wood-framed home, such as a steel I-beam to help support wood framing, does not disqualify a structure from being considered residential construction.

Traditional wood frame construction materials and methods will be characterized by:

• Framing materials: Wood (or equivalent cold-formed sheet metal stud) framing, not steel or concrete; wooden floor joists and roof structures.
• Exterior wall structure: Wood (or equivalent cold-formed sheet metal stud) framing or masonry brick or block.
  • Methods: Traditional wood frame construction techniques.

Question: What are some of the benefits of rescinding STD 03-00-001?

Answer:

• Falls continue to be the leading cause of fatalities in residential construction. OSHA has concluded that fall hazards pose a significant risk of death or serious injury for construction workers and that compliance with the requirements of Subpart M is reasonably necessary to protect workers from those hazards.
• STD 03-00-001 addressed only certain, specified types of residential construction work. Withdrawing that directive will result in consistent enforcement policy with respect to all residential construction activities.
• Several state plan OSHA programs did not adopt, or have already rescinded, the enforcement policy described in STD 03-00-001. Therefore, rescinding the compliance directive will promote consistency among all states regarding the enforcement of fall protection requirements for residential construction.
  • OSHA expects that further advances in the design technologies of fall protection equipment will be triggered by the demands of employers who may encounter compliance difficulties on particular work sites.

Question: Can a standardized fall protection plan be developed and implemented for the construction of dwellings that are of the same basic structural design?

Answer:

Before using a fall protection plan at a particular worksite, the employer must first be able to demonstrate that it is infeasible or presents a greater hazard to use conventional fall protection methods at that site. Fall protection plans must be site-specific to comply with §1926.502(k). A written fall protection plan developed for repetitive use, e.g., for a particular style or model of home, will be considered site-specific with respect to a particular site only if it fully addresses all issues related to fall protection at that site. Therefore, a standardized plan will have to be reviewed, and revised as necessary, on a site by site basis.

Question: Are there requirements for safety monitoring systems?

Answer:

Yes. Safety monitoring systems must meet the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.502(h) including, but not limited to, requirements that the monitor:

• be competent to recognize fall hazards;
• be on the same walking working surface and within visual sighting distance of the employee being monitored;
• be close enough to communicate orally with the employee; and
• not have other responsibilities which could take the monitor's attention from the monitoring function.