What Does
OSHA Fall Protection Standard Mean?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces standards for fall protection in the workplace. These standards are meant to protect workers who are at risk of falling from heights while on the job.
OSHA’s fall protection standards require employers to control fall hazards in their workplaces using adequate fall protection measures, such as guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall protection equipment. These hazards include overhead platforms, leading edges, ladders, open pits, and excavated ground.
The standards for fall protection are specific to different industries. The regulations that apply to construction differ from those that govern the maritime industry. Other workplaces fall under the general industry standard.
Safeopedia Explains OSHA Fall Protection Standard
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, falls from heights are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, accounting for 395 of the 1,069 fatalities recorded in 2022. Falls to a lower level are the third leading cause of workplace fatalities and the fifth leading cause of Days Away From Work (DAFW) and Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) cases.
Fall protection standards have topped OSHA’s list of most frequent violations for the tenth year in a row.
Fall Protection Heights According to OSHA Standards
General Industry
Workplaces that aren’t part of the construction, maritime, or agricultural industry fall under the general industry category. Fall protection in general industry is required when workers are at a height of four feet or greater from a lower level.
Employees working over hazardous machinery or equipment must use fall protection regardless of the height.
Construction
Employers in the construction industry must provide fall protection for any work that takes place at an elevation of six feet or higher above the lower level.
Fall protection is required regardless of the height when working over hazardous equipment like machines with open drive belts, pulleys, or gears.
Scaffolding
According to OSHA standard 1926.451(g)(1), employers must provide fall protection to each employee working on a scaffold more than 10 feet above a lower level. Fall protection for scaffolds includes guardrails and personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).
Steel Erection
According to 1926.760(a)(1), fall protection is required for employees on walking-working surfaces with an unprotected edge more than 15 feet above a lower level.
Ladders and Stairways
OSHA 1926.1050-1060 cover fall protection standards for ladders and stairways. These standards require fall protection for fixed ladders that reach 24 feet or higher. There is no height requirement for portable ladders.
While no fall protection is required in most cases, an OSHA letter of interpretation nevertheless encourages employers to implement fall protection measures for ladders.
Working Over Dangerous Equipment
According to OSHA 1926.501(b)(8)(ii), fall protection is required for anyone working six feet or more above dangerous equipment. This can include passive fall protection measures like guardrails and safety nets.
OSHA Standards for Fall Protection Methods
Guardrails
Guardrail systems used for fall protection must comply with the following requirements:
- Able to withstand a minimum force of 200 pounds (applied in any direction) within two inches of the top edge
- No rough surfaces that could snag clothing or cause punctures and lacerations
- Midrails, screens, meshes and intermediate members must be able to withstand a minimum force of 150 pounds (applied in any direction)
- Top edge must be 39 to 45 inches above the walking-working surface (with some exceptions)
- Midrails must be midway between the top edge and the walking-working surface
- Screens and meshes must cover the guardrail from the top rail to the walking-working surface and the entire opening between rail supports
- The distance between intermediate members cannot be greater than 19 inches
Safety Nets
OSHA 1926.105 requires employers to provide safety nets for any working area that is 25 feet above the ground level. They must also be used where scaffolds, ladders, and conventional fall protection measures cannot be used.
Safety nets must also:
- Extend eight feet beyond the edge of the work surface
- Be installed as close under the work surface as possible (but no more than 25 feet below)
- Have a mesh size that does not exceed six inches square
- Have a minimum impact resistance of 17,500 foot-pounds
- Be fastened with safety hooks and shackles made of forged steel
Personal Fall Arrest Systems
Requirements for personal fall arrest systems are covered in 1910.140. This standard specifies performance minimums for the various components of a PFAS, including connectors, lifelines, lanyards, D-rings, and carabiners.
OSHA’s tensile load criteria for the various components of a PFAS can be found under 1915.159(b):
- Vertical lifelines: 5,000 pounds (22.24 Kn)
- Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards with a 2-foot free fall distance: 3,000 pounds (13.34 Kn)
- Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards without a 2-foot limit: 5,000 pounds (22.24 Kn)
OSHA Standards for Ladders and Scaffolding Safety
OSHA 1926.1053 Subpart X provides requirements for all ladders. To ensure the safety of users, all ladders must:
- Be free from oil, grease, and other slip hazards
- Not be loaded beyond the manufacturer’s rated capacity or the maximum load for which they are built
- Only be used for their intended purpose
OSHA requirements for scaffolding safety are under 1926.450 Subpart L and include:
- Workers more than 10 feet above a lower level must use PFAS or be protected by guardrails
- Scaffolds must be able to support four times the maximum designed load without failing
- There must be at least 10 feet distance between electrical hazards and the scaffold (if the scaffold is too close, the electric line must be shut down)
- A competent person must inspect the scaffold before and after each work shift
- The scaffold must be checked regularly for defects, debris, and wear and tear
OSHA Standards for Fall Protection Training
OSHA regulations for fall protection training are given in 1926.503.
The standard requires employers to provide:
- Fall protection training to all employees who are exposed to fall hazards
- Training if changes in the workplace introduce new fall hazards
- Training if the fall protection equipment changes
- Refresher training for any employee who does not demonstrate sufficient understanding of fall protection or its importance
All fall protection training must be delivered by a qualified and competent person.
Regular Checks of Equipment
OSHA 1910.140(c)(18) states that all fall protection equipment must be inspected before use in each work shift, including lifelines, full-body harnesses, and connectors. Equipment that is defective, damaged, or shows signs of wear and tear must be removed from service.
Repair and Replacement of Fall Protection Equipment
OSHA does not specify the lifespan of fall protection equipment. The American National Standards Institute’s ANSI A10.32-2012 standard holds that fall protection equipment should be removed from service when there is evidence of damage, defects, or deterioration, but also stops short of specifying a time frame for replacing equipment.
Fall protection equipment must not be repaired by the end user. If it can be repaired, it must be sent to a repair or service center authorized by the manufacturer.
Overview of OSHA Fall Protection Standards
General Industry
The OSHA standards covering fall protection for general industry are:
- 1910 Subpart D, which deals with walking-working surfaces, ladders, stairways, dockboards, scaffolds, and rope descent systems
- 1910 Subpart F, which deals with powered platforms, manlifts, and vehicle-mounted work platforms
- 1910 Subpart I, which deals with personal protective equipment (PPE)
- 1910 Subpart R, which deals with telecommunications and electric power generation, transmission, and distribution
Construction
Fall protection standards for the construction industry can be found in:
Subpart M requires fall protection for workers who are:
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