Osha Regulations For Fall Protection On Roofs

1926 502 a 2 employers shall provide and install all fall protection systems required by this subpart for an employee and shall comply with all other pertinent requirements of this subpart before that employee begins the work that necessitates the fall protection.

Osha regulations for fall protection on roofs.

Note to paragraph g. If there is a fall risk it needs to be addressed. Understand the requirements of osha s fall protection standards at 29 cfr 1926 subpart m to protect workers exposed to falls six feet or more above a lower level. This section highlights osha standards federal register notices rules and proposed rules preambles to final rules background to final rules directives instruction to osha staff letters of interpretation official letters of interpretation of the standards and national consensus standards.

Supervise workers to ensure fall protection equipment is used and maintained correctly. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph b of this section each employee engaged in roofing activities on low slope roofs with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet 1 8 m or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems safety net systems personal fall arrest systems or a combination of warning line system and guardrail system warning line system and safety net system or warning line system and personal fall arrest system or warning line system and. Figure d 14 clearances for fixed ladders in wells. The osha general industry standards exclude construction as well as agriculture and marine industries which also have their own standards but both standards can sometimes apply to the same.

Osha safety standards especially for roof fall protection can be a source of confusion for many industrial companies. Osha defines a low slope roof as a roof having a slope of less than or equal to 4 inches of vertical rise for every 12 inches horizontal length 4 12 1926 500 b definitions. Section 1910 28 establishes the requirements that employers must follow on the use of cages and wells as a means of fall protection. When work is performed at least 6 feet 1 6 m but less than 15 feet 4 6 m from the roof edge the employer must ensure each employee is protected from falling by using a guardrail system safety net system travel restraint system or personal fall arrest system.

This is important because the osha definition is used as a basis for implementing low slope fall protection measures such as warning line systems and safety monitors. How far from the edge do you have to be before fall protection is required. Implement safe work practices to reduce the possibility of falls. Also the warning line would comply with the criteria requirements in 1926 502 f.

Fall protection for activities not in the construction industry is addressed in specific standards for the general industry shipyard employment marine terminals and longshoring industry. Answer as explained below the answer is no. The answer is it doesn t matter how far from the edge. In construction activities fall protection is required when working at heights greater than 6 feet with some exceptions.