OSHA Issues Long-Awaited Standards Improvement Project IV Final Rule

On May 14, 2019, OSHA issued a final rule as part of its ongoing Standards Improvement Project (SIP). The final rule is set to go into effect on July 15, 2019. Consistent with the project's rationale of reducing regulatory burdens while maintaining or enhancing worker safety and health, the updated regulations encompassed in the final rule generally simplify employer efforts both to comply with the agency's requirements as well as to determine how compliance can be achieved. For example, the rule replaces 31 pages of regulatory text on how to manage hazardous chemicals in the construction industry with a cross reference to an identical standard for general industry. Even with OSHA's emphasis on regulatory simplification, however, there are several key requirements that employers should closely consider to ensure continued compliance with OSHA standards.