The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its latest regulatory agenda on Nov. 20. The agenda lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release in 2016, their final year. An update on rulemakings affecting the construction industry is below.

President Obama Nov. 2 signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (H.R. 1314), which suspended the application of the debt limit until March 2017 and ensured that the United States would meet its financial obligations. The deal was approved by a bi-partisan group of legislators the Unites States Senate Oct. 30 and the House of Representatives on Oct. 28.

On Oct. 27, the ABC-led Coalition for Workplace Safety (CWS) submitted comments urging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to withdraw its proposed rule clarifying an employer鈥檚 continuing obligation to make and maintain accurate records of reportable injuries.

On Oct. 9, the ABC-led Construction Industry Safety Coalition submitted comments in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration鈥檚 (OSHA) Request for Information (RFI) on Chemical Management and Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs). The RFI asked stakeholders how the agency should consider approaching health standard rulemaking, such as managing chemical exposures in workplaces.

Employers can now be cited for not complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration鈥檚 (OSHA) confined spaces in construction final rule. A temporary enforcement policy of not issuing citations--provided employers made good-faith efforts to comply--expired on Oct. 2.

OSHA Aug. 4 released a guide titled, 鈥淭raining Requirements in OSHA Standards,鈥� that compiles information related to the agency鈥檚 mandatory safety and health training for workers into a 266-page document that is divided into five chapters, including one focused on construction safety training.

OSHA July 29 issued a听proposed rule听clarifying an employer鈥檚 continuing obligation to make and maintain accurate records of reportable injuries and illnesses.

ABC听filed a letter听July 23 with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) requesting an extension of the comment period on the department鈥檚 Wage and Hour Division鈥檚 (WHD) Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees proposed rulemaking. Commonly referred to as 鈥渢he overtime proposal,鈥� the notice of proposed rulemaking was issued June 30.听

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released an interpretation letter July 6 which states that the use of kinesiology tape to treat a work-related injury no longer needs to be recorded as medical treatment.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced July 9 a 60-day temporary enforcement policy of its听Confined Spaces in Construction听standard, effective Aug. 3. The announcement postpones full enforcement of the听new standard听to Oct. 2 in order to allow for additional time to train and acquire the equipment necessary to comply with the new rule.