Opinion ID: 1191954
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: osha standards

Text: ¶ 17 Slisze also asserts that the lower court erred in admitting federal OSHA standards as evidence of government standards established for that industry under Utah Code Ann. § 78-15-6(3), which creates a rebuttable presumption of non-defectiveness. See 29 C.F.R. § 1926.302(b)(safety and health regulations for pneumatic power tools). The trial court is granted broad discretion in determining the relevance of proffered evidence, and we review the trial court's decision for abuse of that discretion. Hall v. Process Instruments & Control, 890 P.2d 1024, 1028 (Utah 1995). Slisze argues that OSHA regulations pertain exclusively to those in an employer-employee relationship and, because Slisze was a consumer and not the employee of Stanley, the standards should not be admitted. ¶ 18 In determining the appropriate standard of conduct, the Restatement permits courts to adopt the standard from a legislative enactment or an administrative regulation which does not itself purport to establish the standard. See Restatement (Second) of Torts § 285 (1965). Thus, despite UOSHA's provision prohibiting its use to affect the common law rights, duties, or liabilities of employers, this court can look to UOSHA and OSHA for evidence of industry standards in certain circumstances. See Figgs v. Bellevue Holding Co., 652 A.2d 1084 1091 (Del.Super.Ct.1994); Utah Code Ann. § 35-9-20 (1994) (currently Utah Code Ann. § 34A-6-110 (1997)). The Restatement provides the following guidelines for the adoption of legislative standards: The court may adopt as the standard of conduct of a reasonable man the requirements of a legislative enactment or an administrative regulation whose purpose is found to be exclusively or in part (a) to protect a class of persons which includes the one whose interest is invaded, and (b) to protect the particular interest which is invaded, and (c) to protect that interest against the kind of harm which has resulted, and (d) to protect that interest against the particular hazard from which the harm results. Restatement (Second) of Torts § 286 (1965). UOSHA and OSHA explicitly purport to protect the safety and health of workers at work. Because OSHA standards are so widely known, understood, and followed, they constitute a legitimate source for determining the standard of reasonable care, and we hereby approve of their use. See Utah Code Ann. § 34A-6-102 (1997); 29 C.F.R. § 1926.10. The district court properly admitted the regulation to establish a rebuttable presumption of non-defectiveness under Utah Code Ann. § 78-15-6(3).