b'me on to write this next section. While this ties in loosely withwork for them.what I have been discussing, I must ask your indulgence for a fewA Few New Rules paragraphs to get this behind me.Like many of you I am on LinkedIn. A few days ago a safetyFirst, effective January 17, 2017 OSHA has adopted a long professional I know forwarded a post to me to review. This was alist of new rules, which already exist in the construction industry photograph of about 50 men erecting what appeared to be a poleand now are effective in general industry. These are now also found barn somewhere in the Midwest. I entered into a positive exchangein Subpart D of the general industry standards. They cover a host with the safety professional discussing how, in todays society,of activities which include the integrity of walking and working with what we know about safety such a thing could occur. Yousurfaces, scaffold safety, ladder safety, fall protection, stairways, see, it was obvious to me that not one of these people was wearingdock boards and training. All of the requirements the construction fall protection and, as was obvious o from the photo, they wereindustry has been living with for many years now apply to all more than ten feet above the ground. We discussed whethergeneral. All of our members who are manufacturers, distributors, this was a volunteer project (no OSHA compliance required),fabricators, lumber yards, and those post frame contractors who or perhaps it was some other group erecting the structure. As wehave a shop area to manufacturer any of the components used in were posting our comments a gentleman, much wiser than weyour construction take note.are, commented that he felt that we safety hacks do nothing butOn April 6, 2017 OSHA announced a delay in the slow down progress and generate income for ourselves and theenforcement of the new respirable silica standard for the government with our bull___. He went on to challenge that ifconstruction industry. The enforcement deadline has been moved we were too scared to get up there and work we should move overback to September 23rd, 2017, from July 23rd. At this point soman could take our spot. He concluded by saying that is howwe still anticipate that the standard will become effective on stuff gets done. September 23rd, but stay tuned.As most of you know I defend employers for OSHAFinally Congress passed a resolution and President Trump citations received by them. I use every defense available to mesigned it into law overturning the Volk decision. This action now to be successful. But that does not mean that I am not a strongrestricts OSHA to going back only six months or 182 days to issue champion for safety in the workplace. Do not forget the peoplea citation on a record keeping violation. In the case noted OSHA you hire to work for you are hired to assist you to accomplish thewas given the ability to cite an employer for a record keeping tasks assigned to them, NOT to risk their lives because you stillviolation one or more years before the date of an inspection based champion the long outdated and Neolithic belief that a personupon OSHA 300 logs produced at OSHAs review of records who wants to work safely has no place in the construction industry.obtained during the inspection.The narrow minded person who responded as I indicated in theAs of the date I am writing this article the OSHA electronic preceding paragraph either has his head in the sand or, maybe hasrecord keeping standard and its anti-retaliation provisions are still never had anyone working for him get hurt. I would say thatletin effect. The electronic filing requirements for the OSHA 300a him have to visit the surviving spouse of one of his employees andforms is still on track for July 1, 2017, but also, as of the date I explain to her why her husband and the father of her children iswrite this articleOSHA has not yet identified a web address to be dead because Mr. Macho man refused to require his employees tosued to file the 300As or a procedure for doing so. Again - stay wear fall protection. Or, perhaps he has never had an on the jobtuned!injury that cost so much in increased insurance premiums that he cannot compete any longer. Whatever the case, this kind ofTake advantage of a great MRCA member benefit-complimentary attitude has no place in the twenty-first century in constructionlegal advice on OSHA-related issues from MRCA Legal Counsel and I can only hope that those who read this article do so becauseGary Auman. Contact Gary at GWA@amfdayton.com.they want to do everything possible to protect the people who www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer 9'