Question: Can an Alliance participant work with OSHA through an Alliance to promote a good or service?

Answer:

No. Alliance participants may not use their relationship with OSHA to promote or to imply the agency’s endorsement of their policies, programs, products, or services.

Question: What kinds of activities do Alliances undertake?

Answer:

As a condition of their participation in the program, Alliance participants disseminate information on OSHA initiatives and resources to their stakeholders, and support their stakeholders’ engagement in the agency’s outreach efforts. In this way, Alliance participants serve as important information intermediaries, significantly amplifying and supporting OSHA’s outreach initiatives. As a result, more employers and workers receive information to help them comply with OSHA requirements and improve workplace safety and health in their industries. OSHA supports Alliance participants’ efforts by providing timely information to Alliance participants on agency regulatory activities, enforcement initiatives, and outreach campaigns, and connecting Alliance participants with appropriate OSHA compliance assistance and technical staff who can support exhibits, and participate in meetings and other events to present information about the agency and its initiatives.

Alliance participants may also conduct activities beyond outreach and dissemination, with priority given to projects that fill gaps and support agency initiatives. Examples of these projects include:

• Planning and conducting stand-downs, training sessions, or other outreach events in support of key OSHA initiatives,
• Providing technical briefings for OSHA staff,
• Developing Alliance products, (e.g., to fill gaps where workplace safety and health materials do not exist or to address an emerging hazard), and
• Reviewing OSHA compliance assistance materials.

For Alliance products and other projects that go beyond outreach and dissemination, Alliance participants must follow the Guidelines for OSHA’s Alliance Program Participants: Alliance Products and Other Alliance Projects.

Question: What is an Alliance?

Answer:

OSHA created the Alliance Program in 2002 to develop voluntary, collaborative working relationships with organizations that are committed to workplace safety and health.

Alliances provide a vehicle for regular, proactive interaction between OSHA and other organizations. OSHA establishes Alliances through a written agreement with an organization for an initial term of two years, which may be renewed at OSHA’s discretion. Alliance participants that have successfully completed an initial two-year agreement and one renewal period may become program Ambassadors. Alliances can be formed at the National, Regional, or Area Office level.

OSHA does not need to enter into a formal Alliance to work with an organization on outreach and dissemination. OSHA and an organization may decide to work together informally on outreach activities, or may do so for a period of time before entering into an Alliance.

Question: OSHA requires labels be consistent with the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (29 CFR 1910.1200) and employers must label each bag and container of clothing, equipment, and materials contaminated with beryllium, and must, at a minimum, include the follo

Answer:

Yes. Employers may use existing labels if they are in agreement with the labeling specifications of the beryllium standard and the HCS. For transportation guidance, see the joint OSHA/DOT guidance.

Question: A CBD diagnostic center has historically been defined as one of a few specified medical centers in the U.S. that have developed specific expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of CBD. Are there other medical facilities that are acceptable to OSHA as a C

Answer:

Yes. A CBD Diagnostic Center is any medical facility that has an on-site pulmonary specialist and on-site capability to perform the clinical evaluation necessary to diagnose CBD. In order to qualify as a CBD Diagnostic Center, the medical facility would need to be able to perform a pulmonary function test (as outlined by the American Thoracic Society criteria), perform a bronchoalveolar lavage (lung wash), and perform a transbronchial biopsy. The medical facility would also need to be able to send the lavage fluid samples to a laboratory for analysis within 24 hours of collecting the fluid. The on-site pulmonary specialist would need to be able to interpret the biopsy results, bronchoalveolar lavage diagnostic test results.

OSHA expanded the definition of CBD Diagnostic Center in the recently published beryllium standards to include more facilities across the U.S. by removing some of the more stringent criteria for these facilities, such as the proposed requirement to be able to perform a BeLPT on-site.

Question: The final rule at §1910.23(b)(11) requires that workers face the ladder when climbing up or down. Since the definition of ladder includes mobile ladder stands, does the final rule prohibit workers from climbing down a mobile ladder stand while facing away

Answer:

OSHA will not consider it a violation of the standard if employees face away while descending mobile ladder stands and mobile ladder stand platforms if the slope of the steps is 50 degrees or less and the units comply with other requirements in 29 CFR 1910.23(b) and (e).

Question: Under the previous standard, stairs with a handrail that doubles as a stair rail could have a rail height of 30 to 34 inches. If an employer’s stairs were installed prior to January 17, 2017, must the rails have a minimum height of 36 inches if the stair

Answer:

The final rule does not affect stair rail systems and handrails installed before January 17, 2017 that were in compliance with the requirements in the old standard.

Question: Would climbing a fixed ladder in a full body harness and using double lanyards to tie off and maintain 100% connection to the fixed ladder be in compliance with the fall protection requirements in §1910.28(b)(9) if the ladder meets the standard’s requirem

Answer:

A double lanyard system that consists of a body harness, lanyards and an anchorage meets the definition of personal fall arrest system in the final rule, provided those components meet all of the applicable requirements in §1910.140(c) and (d). For example, the lanyards must have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds and anchorages (the fixed ladder in this instance) used to attach to the personal fall arrest systems must be capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds for each employee attached.

Question: Section 1910.28(a)(2)(ii) exempts employers inspecting, investigating, or assessing workplace conditions or work to be performed prior to the start of work or after all work has been completed from the requirement to provide fall protection. Do company se

Answer:

The exception in §1910.28(a)(2)(ii) is limited to inspections and assessments of workplace conditions prior to the start of work or after all work has been completed. Section 1910.28(a)(2)(ii) does not apply to workers conducting routine and frequent security inspections on low-slope roofs.