Osha Regulations For Working In Attics

Confined spaces in residential construction.

Osha regulations for working in attics.

Osha heat stress compliance guidelines. Employers also may choose to use scaffolds or ladders for attic work. Federal osha has a general duty clause section 5 a of the occupational safety and health act of 1970 that requires employers to provide a place of employment that is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees. Osha will continue to publish new guidance products in the coming months and will post them here.

Eliminate the hazard if you can. Mechanical hazards e g attic ventilators whole house fans. Deal with it if you can t. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in a lawsuit if workers become injured as a result of heat illness.

Atmospheric hazards e g poor ventilation heat stress. Retraining is required when previous training becomes obsolete due to changes in work conditions or fall protection systems or equipment. Osha has developed a standard for confined spaces in construction 29 cfr 1926 subpart aa that applies to spaces such as attics basements and crawl spaces. The recent osha action clarifies the standard.

According to osha attics present hazards such as. Please check the website often for updates. Attics crawlspaces have been covered by osha for 20 years. Construction workers often perform tasks in confined spaces work areas that 1 are large enough for an employee to enter 2 have limited means of entry or exit and 3 are not designed for.

While osha does not have specific regulations for indoor workplace temperatures the agency recommends a temperature range between 68 and 76 degrees. We all have a duty to protect ourselves and our employees. However under osha s new confined spaces in construction standards 29 cfr 1926 subpart aa attics can be considered confined spaces and permit required confined spaces. This fact sheet developed after consultation with the national association of home builders nahb and a detailed frequently asked questions faqs document clarify some of the standard s provisions and their application to residential construction work.