Department of Labor September 14, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On June 15, 2005, OSHA published a proposed rule to revise the general industry and construction standards for electric power generation, transmission, and distribution work and for electrical protective equipment. The proposed general industry and construction standards for electric power generation, transmission, and distribution work included revised minimum approach distance tables. Those tables limit how close an employee (or a conductive object he or she is contacting) may get to an energized circuit part. In light of recent changes to one of the consensus standards on which OSHA relied in formulating the proposed minimum approach distances, OSHA is reopening the record on this proposal to obtain additional comments related to the proposed minimum approach distances. The record will remain open on this limited basis until October 15, 2009. OSHA is also announcing a public hearing on the issues raised in this notice.