Lawmaker with roofing industry ties blasts OSHA for fall protection requirement
At this week's hearing of the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) vigorously criticized the head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), David Michaels, over a directive requiring fall protection equipment for workers on residential roofing projects. Ribble insisted that the rules were too costly and a burden on business.
Until recently, residential roofing contractors were exempt from OSHA rules about fall protection. In 2007, the National Association of Home Builders, which includes roofers, asked OSHA to remove the residential exemption. OSHA complied with the request earlier this year. The association reversed its position soon after, arguing that the rule could be too difficult to follow in certain situations.