Proposed Safety Rule for Emergency Responders Issued by OSHA

Firefighters and workers in similar emergency jobs could get updated workplace protections under a new US Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule proposal.

Once the notice of proposed rulemaking released by OSHA Thursday is formally published in the Federal Register during January, a 90-day comment period will begin.

It would likely take at least a year for OSHA to respond to comments and issue a final version of the regulation.

“We are proposing much-needed updates that will expand protections for emergency workers and bring our standards closer to common industry procedures,” OSHA Assistant Labor Secretary Doug Parker said in a ...