On May 24, 2016, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a statement regarding the settlement to the agency’s Confined Spaces in Construction final rule. This settlement comes a year after issuing the rule and the subsequent opposition from the NAHB. The rule, as published, was ambiguous in its definition of a “confined space” and would have been especially onerous on the residential homebuilding industry. As part of the settlement, OSHA has published a detailed Q & A to explain how the rule applies to spaces such as attics, basements and crawl spaces in residential homes. This will clarify the scope of the standard, as well as how the standard will apply to attics, crawl spaces, basements, and other potential confined space or permit-required confined space exposures that may occur during the course of residential construction work. By and large, areas in a residential home will not typically trigger the confined spaces requirements.
