Ankeny, Iowa - December 1st, 2023

The National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) and the U.S. Department of Labor Achieve Landmark Settlement on Fall Protection Rules

In a historic collaboration, the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) and the U.S. Department of Labor have reached a comprehensive and binding settlement, ushering in significant amendments to fall protection regulations.

The genesis of this agreement can be traced back to the NCSG's challenge against the "final rule" issued on November 18, 2016, by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Entitled "Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment," the rule aimed to harmonize General Industry Standards and Construction Standards but posed challenges, particularly in the context of residential service where its applicability was often impractical.

Initial attempts at a negotiated agreement with the NCSG were unsuccessful, leading to a protracted legal dispute that spanned several years.

A detailed exploration of the terms and implications of this groundbreaking settlement will be featured in the upcoming January issue of Sweeping, and further insights will be shared during a dedicated seminar at the National Convention in Orlando. For those seeking more information, please visit the conference site at www.ncsgconvention.org.

The achievement of this milestone is the result of the collective efforts of numerous chimney sweeps who generously volunteered their time and expertise to contribute to the development of this OSHA Agreement. We express our sincere gratitude to each of them for their invaluable contributions.

To read the settlement, follow this link: NCSG  Settlement Agreement - Final Executed - 12-1-23