OSHA gives GCs new duties for confined spaces

General contractors at construction sites are being held to a higher level of responsibility for coordinating the safety activities of contractors when it comes to confined spaces in what may be a little-noticed provision of a new OSHA standard.

OSHA described the new standard on confined spaces in construction as including “more detailed provisions requiring coordinated activities when there are multiple employers at the worksite.

“This will ensure hazards are not introduced into a confined space by workers performing tasks outside the space. An example would be a generator running near the entrance of a confined space causing a buildup of carbon monoxide within the space.”

But if you dig deeper into support material provided by OSHA for the standard you find that the controlling contractor – in essence the general contractor – is designated to be the central point of coordination for information about permit spaces and hazards at the work site.

For some examples of how this might play out in practice, see an interesting post on the OSHA Training Blog.

In light of this provision, GCs need to take a closer look at how they are working with contractors on confined spaces and make appropriate adjustments.