Slips and falls are a common type of accident in California workplaces. Due to this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has strict rules for employers to ensure you are protected at work. From time to time OSHA updates its rules. The latest update made sweeping changes for general industries.
According to News Day, these new OSHA guidelines make construction standards applicable to all industries. The construction industry is known for having stricter requirements, so adjusting general industries to meet the same slip and fall guidelines increases safety all around. These changes require employers to do full assessments of their workplaces to identify possible hazards. In addition, your employer must ensure you and all other employees have undergone proper safety training to guarantee you are aware of all slip and fall safety requirements and equipment.
It is required that employers provide you with the proper safety equipment, which may include harnesses or guardrails, to ensure any slip and fall hazard is minimized. Your employer must also do routine inspections of your work area to look for hazards and update safety guidelines and equipment accordingly.
It is important to note that what types of protection and safety gear you use can be chosen by your employer as OSHA has not specified what must be used. This is to allow for new technology to be implemented that could offer better protection than older options. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not to be taken or used as legal advice.
