Question: Does the final rule require that employers post load capacity ratings in buildings?

Answer:

Question: Would winding stairs attached to tanks be required to meet the requirements in §1910.25(d) for spiral stairs?

Answer:

No. Section 1910.21(b) defines spiral stairs as a "series of treads attached to a vertical pole in a winding fashion, usually within a cylindrical space" (emphasis added). Winding stairs attached to tanks do not have vertical poles; therefore, they are not spiral stairs and must meet the requirements of §1910.25(b) and (c).

Question: Are fixed stairs attached to the exterior of tanks required to comply with the requirements of §1910.25(b) or would those stairs fall under the exemptions in §1910.25(a)?

Answer:

The exception from the stair requirements in §1910.25(a) only applies to stairs serving floating roof tanks, stairs on scaffolds, stairs on self-propelled motorized equipment, or stairs designed into machines or equipment. For stairs on the exterior of other tanks, employers would have to ensure they comply with the requirements in §1910.25(b) and (c).

Question: What if the doorway described in §1910.25(b)(5)(ii) and shown in figure D-7 is perpendicular to the direction of travel and opens onto the landing? Does the same dimension apply to this condition?

Answer:

Yes. As figure D-7 illustrates, Section 1910.25(b)(5) requires that a platform be provided when a door or a gate opens directly onto a stairway. For platforms installed after January 17, 2017, the final rule also requires that employers ensure the swing of the door or gate does not reduce the "effective usable depth" of the platform to less than 22 inches (§1910.25(b)(5)(ii)). The preamble to the final rule describes “effective usable depth” as the portion of the platform beyond the swing of the door where a worker can stand when opening the door (82 FR 82557). The provision applies equally to stairway doors that are perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Question: Are stairs installed after January 17, 2017, that have an angle of 50 degrees considered to be ships stairs?

Answer:

The final rule defines ship stairs as “a stairway that is equipped with treads, stair rails, and open risers, and has a slope of 50 to 70 degrees.” Ship stairs must also comply with §1910.25(b) and (e), such as a minimum tread depth of 4 inches, a minimum tread width of 18 inches, and a vertical clearance above any stair tread to any overhead obstruction of at least 6 feet 8 inches.

Question: Does the requirement that standard stairs have a slope between 30 to 50 degrees apply to stairs installed after January 17, 2017?

Answer:

Yes. The final rule limits the maximum rise height and minimum tread depth to 9.5 inches for standard stairs installed after January 17, 2017. Therefore, the maximum angle for standard stairs is 45 degrees.

Question: Does the exception to the 9.5-inch riser height and 9.5-inch tread depth requirements for stairs installed before January 17, 2017 (§1910.25(c)(5)), also apply to stairs designed and fabricated, but not yet installed, by that date?

Answer:

Stairs with design drawings issued for construction or that were in fabrication before January 17, 2017, but not installed, will be in compliance if they met the previous requirements for standard stairs.

Question: If a personal fall arrest system or ladder safety system is required on one section of a fixed ladder, are all sections required to have a personal fall arrest system or ladder safety system even if those other sections are less than 24 ft. in length?

Answer:

Whether an employer must equip a fixed ladder or ladder sections with fall protection depends on the height the ladder extends above a lower level, and thus the distance a worker on the ladder could fall, not the length of the particular ladder section. Section 1910.28(b)(9)(i) requires that employers equip fixed ladders with personal fall arrest or ladder safety systems if the ladder extends more than 24 feet above a lower level. For example, if a multiple section or side-step ladder extends more than 24 feet above the ground, the employer must equip the entire ladder with personal fall arrest or ladder safety systems. Although the length of each section of the ladder may be less than 24 feet, a worker on that ladder could fall more than 24 feet. OSHA also notes that §1910.28(b)(9)(ii)(A) requires that employers must ensure that a fixed ladder equipped with a personal fall arrest or ladder safety system on more than one section provides protection for the entire vertical distance of the ladder, including all ladder sections.