Small business rule changes · compliance updates · daily

The Small Business
Rule Change Brief

Vol. 1 · No. 1084

Monday, August 24, 2026

1084 issues in archive

Rule lifecycle · RIN:1218-AC91

Emergency Response Standard

Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration — observed across 3 documents over 117 days. Use the source documents below before deciding whether this affects your business.

In plain English

OSHA is updating rules to require businesses to have detailed emergency action plans covering evacuations, shelter-in-place procedures, and how to account for employees during workplace crises. Small-business owners need to write an emergency plan, train staff at least yearly on what to do, post evacuation maps, and test procedures regularly to make sure they work.

First seen

Mar 28, 2024

Last seen

Jul 23, 2024

Latest stage

Proposed Rule

PRORULE → RULE

Stage timeline

  1. Proposed·Mar 28, 2024

    Emergency Response Standard

    #2024-06610

  2. Proposed·Jun 11, 2024

    Emergency Response Standard

    #2024-12731

  3. Proposed·Jul 23, 2024

    Emergency Response Standard

    #2024-16126