OSHA is working to develop enforcement strategies to ensure that workers in the burgeoning “green” economy are provided with safe working conditions. The Agency is taking steps to link its current standards with the jobs and tasks common in the green economy, so as to prevent many of the hazards, such as falls, fires, electrocutions, and lockout/tagout hazards, that are also found in other sectors.
The Green Jobs Work Group, a subgroup under the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health is working with OSHA to examine in depth every aspect of the jobs and tasks used in each of eight of the fastest-growing green sectors—wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, bio-fuels, recycling, green roofs, hydrogen fuel cells, and weather insulating and sealing—for the purpose of identifying the standards that apply to each activity. Where activities are found for which no standards exist, the Agency will develop guidance.
