On May the 4th of last year, OSHA announced an addition to 29 CFR 1926, the federal safety standards governing the construction industry. The rules for entering confined spaces specified in Subpart AA that took effect on August 3, 2015, represent a leap forward in efforts to protect construction workers who enter confined spaces as part of their daily duties. To help understand the reasons behind the new rules, let’s answer some of the common questions about confined space entry and the requirements for atmospheric testing.
Why was there previously no regulation regarding confined space entry in construction?