Search CompleteMarkets

... years immediately following promulgation of the 1971 standard, most high-rise buildings were designed with straight building facades, which were adapted readily to the continuous guide rail requirements. In recent years, however, architects have been designing some buildings with multiple vertical planes, setbacks, and complicated corners, for aesthetic reasons or to conserve energy. Energy costs, for example, led to smaller and fewer windows, projecting awnings, and recessed windows to provide insulation from outside temperatures. These design changes make it difficult, costly, or impossible to use continuous guide rails on many building facades. As a result, the new designs for high rises have led to development of new types of stabilization systems for powered platforms. The revised OSHA standard will permit use of two additional alternative stabilization systems: (1 ) The ... job safety requirements to protect workers on powered platforms used in window washing and maintenance operations on high rise buildings were announced by OSHA earlier. The revised standard permits the use of alternative stabilization systems for the powered platforms. New requirements were added for training and protection against falls; and existing requirements were clarified and updated. The coverage of the standard also was expanded to include activities taking place in interior installations such as atriums. About 7,000 window washers and more than 1,000 exterior building maintenance workers who work on powered platforms are affected by the revised requirements. U.S. Department of Labor Program Highlights Fact Sheet No. OSHA 90-34 AMENDED POWERED PLATFORM STANDARD More modern job safety requirements to protect workers on powered platforms used in window washing and maintenance operations on high-rise buildings were announced by the ...

...ler and fewer windows, projecting awnings, and recessed windows to provide ins...