News: OSHA Proposes First Responder Protections

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in January to update safety and health protections for emergency first responders. The agency seeks to modernize its decades-old “fire brigades” standard to address the full range of job hazards faced by today’s emergency first responders, OSHA official said.

The proposed emergency response standard would apply to firefighters, emergency medical service providers, and technical search and rescue workers. It is intended to comply with national consensus standards related to the use of protective clothing and equipment and numerous other safety and health practices.

The rule would require employers to obtain baseline medical screening and ensure continuous medical surveillance for first responders who are exposed to toxic byproducts of fires and explosions. The date when the rule will be published in the Federal Register has not been announced, but the unofficial version (refer to the link above) has already been released.