Dean McKenzie, Deputy Director
Directorate of Construction, OSHA,
Washington, D.C.
NESC Summit 2015
¾ OSHA Overview
–  Mission
–  Statistics
–  How OSHA uses consensus standards
¾ Subpart V (29 CFR 1926)
¾ NESC’s Contribution to the 1926 Subpart V
¾ Keeping up with Technology
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OSHA’s Mission: Prevent Work Injury and Illness §  OSHA: 44 years of progress on safety and
health
§  More than 4,000 Americans die from
workplace injuries every year.
§  Perhaps as many as 50,000 workers die from
illnesses in which workplace exposures were
a contributing factor.
§  More than 3 million cases of non-fatal
workplace injuries and illnesses are recorded
annually by employers.
Rate of Fatal Workplace Injuries 2006-­‐ 2013
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Number & rate of fatal occupational injuries
by industry sector, 2013 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta;s;cs, U.S. Department of Labor Leading Causes of ConstrucIon FataliIes FataliIes FataliIes 2012 2013 Cause FataliIes 2011 FALL TO LOWER LEVEL 255 281 292 STRUCK BY 73 79 84 ELECTROCUTION 69 66 71 CAUGHT IN/
BETWEEN 18 13 21 Source: BLS Table A-­‐9 for Each Year 2013 OSHA’s Challenge §  OSHA has a range of tools and deterrence
strategies, appropriate for different
employers and different situations.
§  Given (very) limited resources, OSHA’s
challenge is to apply the most efficient mix
in order to maximize the abatement of
hazards, and therefore the prevention on
injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS DistribuIon of Employers, by Commitment to Workplace Safety Criminal PenalIes InspecIons & Civil PenalIes Compliance Assistance & ConsultaIon RecogniIon Programs SVEP LITTLE COMMITMENT TO SAFETY GREAT Leveling the playing field OSHA levels the playing field for responsible employers compe;ng with those who cut corners and costs on worker safety. InspecIons Conducted FY 2007 – FY 2012 FY 2014
Top 10 Most Cited OSHA Standards
1. 
Fall Protection
29CFR1926.501
2. 
Hazard Communication
29CFR 1910.1200
3. 
Scaffolding
29CFR1926.451
4. 
Respiratory protection
29CFR 1910.134
5. 
Powered industrial trucks
29CFR 1910.178
6. 
Control of hazardous
energy (LO/TO) 29CFR1910.178 7. Ladders 29CFR 1926.1053
8. Electrical, wiring methods,
components and equipment
Protection 29CFR1910.305
9. Machinery and Machine
Guarding, 29CFR 1910.212
10.Electrical systems design,
general requirement,
(29 CFR1910.303)
Subpart V Power Transmission and
Distribution Update
Subpart V
¾  Contained in 29 CFR 1926, (29 CFR 1910.269 General
Industry, revised and is nearly identical)
¾  Prior to April 2014, Subpart V was outdated – promulgated in
1974.
¾  Old Subpart V did not provide adequate requirements for
employee protection.
¾  New and revised requirements for work in the Electrical Power
Generation, Transmission and Distribution Industry.
¾  Updates the standard to modern working conditions and
procedures.
¾  Many organizations already follow standards in the new
Subpart V, most compliance issues/concerns have been arcrated protection.
Relationship between OSHA Standard and
Consensus Standards
¾  At inception OSHA almost exclusively used industry consensus
standard for OSHA standards.
¾  OSHA currently uses industry consensus standards, related to
the safe operation of equipment, as guidance of the industry
accepted practice for safe operations.
¾  NESC, NFPA, ASTM, and various IEEE documents are referenced
in the standard, and generally provide reasonable means of
compliance.
¾  Select consensus standards are incorporated by reference into
various OSHA regulations.
¾  OSHA also may offer a national consensus standard as a
guideline.
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Compliance Deadlines
¾ OSHA realizes employers want to keep their people safe,
and comply with its regulations.
¾ OSHA also realizes that compliance with the new Subpart V
may require time for additional procurements to what the
employer currently uses.
¾ The standard is now law and will not be altered, but OSHA
can control enforcement actions.
¾ In a effort to help employers, OSHA has agreed to delay
enforcement of certain provisions.
¾ A detailed description of the enforcement delays and the
specific provisions affected can be found at the OSHA
website:
https://www.osha.gov/dsg/power_generation/index.html
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Keeping Up With New Technology
¾ Today technology changes faster than any of
can move.
¾ The NESC is able to monitor these issues much
faster than OSHA can.
¾ Consensus standards can help guide us and stay
in front of worker safety
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Why Are Temp Workers At High Risk of Injury? §  New workers are at increased risk of injury.
§  Host employers don’t have the same
commitment to temporary employees as to
permanent ones.
§  Employer who bears the risk of the injury
(temp agency) does not control safety and
health investment.
Temporary Worker IniIaIve §  Extensive outreach and educa;on Outreach & EducaIon §  Alliance with American Staffing Associa;on §  Issued Temporary Worker Recommended Prac;ces §  Developing Compliance Assistance Bulle;ns Adding Inequality to Injury Workplace injuries and illnesses can lead directly to income inequality Who bears the cost of worker injuries?
2015 NaIonal Safety Stand-­‐Down www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown Contact Information Page
Dean McKenzie
Deputy Director
Directorate of Construction
200 Constitution Ave.
Washington, DC.
202-693-2020
[email protected]
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