Safety Knights

Not only “can” they be educated to identify hazards of walking working surfaces, I believe they must be. If you agree that “walking IS working,” then most, if not all, workers are professional walkers as part of their duties. Extending this thinking, employee engagement and identification of hazards are two of the most important aspects of an effective safety management system. Using something as easy as “slips,trips, and falls” is a great starting point for both of those ideas. My site is in the midst of a walking is working focus. Every department is discussing common hazards (with guidance provided from the safety department) regarding walking working surfaces. All employees are then empowered to make observations as they are working throughout the day and submitting a work request or an official “issue needing correction.” Finally, workers are also encouraged to correct the hazardous condition on the spot, if it is within their training and authorization to do so. I don’t believe much formality or official paperwork is needed, because as you noted the who and how is at your discretion. I think ANY methods used to get workers engaged in identifying, and correcting hazards will yield noticeable results. All of this assumes our scope is only in “general requirements” of 1910.22, and your metal grating example. Of course fall protection systems and scaffolding inspections will require a higher degree of rigor and documentation. Maybe I’m missing the target on your question.

I am not sure why, but your question reminds me of a story:

Many years ago I was deer hunting in a swamp made back during the 1930s by WPA to reroute the main river path of the St. Joseph River in south central Michigan east of where it enters Indiana (only to come back into Michigan north of South Bend). I had seen this huge buck and was tracking him in the fresh snow. Swamp was pretty thick until we came to the old stream and there was a clear path of ice and his tracks walked right down the middle of the slow stream. I was hoping the ice was thick enough. Around a bend I heard a loud splash and crack! I heard this splashing, just a I rounded the bend I saw the buck, +12points trying to get out to the bank through the ice. I raise my gun to shoot him from about 20 yards. He turns and looks right at me, and then baas like a Billy Goat. I think, "Oh man this is one of the biggest deer I have ever seen! But this just does not seem right! Not sporting and not fair!" So I lower the gun,
Then this thought comes to mind, "Hey dummy! If the ice will not support a 200 pound deer will it support a 220 pound man!" I quickly turn to get off the ice and hear the ice crack! Then further think , "Hopefully the dead stream is shallow like where the buck was, and you are 6'4"." Before can react further I am going through the ice! I hit a log and drop my gun in the water, but then land on my feet in about 5' of water. I have to submerge to reach down and grab my shotgun.
Now I come up and stand there and hear something and look at the bank. Standing there looking at me is the buck! He looks are me and then turns and walks away! As he goes I say, "Take care Man, both our lucky days!!"
I pull myself out of the water and walk back to the truck about 4 miles soaking wet with the temp about 30F. Figured since I could not shoot a trophy buck why go. Have bird hunted since, but never went deer hunting again in 40 years!

I did some word searches on our Walking Working Surfaces course as well as the regulations and couldn't find anything there other than the employer must ensure:

1910.22(d)(1)
Walking-working surfaces are inspected, regularly and as necessary, and maintained in a safe condition;
1910.22(d)(2)
Hazardous conditions on walking-working surfaces are corrected or repaired before an employee uses the walking-working surface again. If the correction or repair cannot be made immediately, the hazard must be guarded to prevent employees from using the walking-working surface until the hazard is corrected or repaired; and

1910.22(d)(3)
When any correction or repair involves the structural integrity of the walking-working surface, a qualified person performs or supervises the correction or repair.

I looked through some other regulations that might give even the slightest bit of direction, but couldn't find anything there either. I have not note that I am NOT a trainer....I just looked through what we had which I thought might be a good fit, and I'd like to think I'm somewhat resourceful and decent at researching things. LOL!

The only other thing I can offer, which might be waaaay more info than what you're looking for are the publications for grating standards, but I think this is more with how they're made vs upkeep.

https://www.naamm.org/division/publications/8