Quick Link
For information related to construction, see OSHA's Fall Protection - Construction page.

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".

Note: Twenty-four states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart D, Walking-working surfaces [related topic page]
  • 1910.23, Guarding floor and wall openings and holes
• 1910 Subpart F, Powered platforms, manlifts, and vehicle-mounted work platforms
  • 1910.66, Powered platforms for building maintenance
    • Appendix A, Guidelines (Advisory)
    • Appendix C, Personal fall arrest system (Section I - Mandatory; sections II and III - Non-mandatory)
  • 1910.67, Vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms [Aerial lifts]
• 1910 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment [related topic page]
  • 1910.132, General requirements
• 1910 Subpart R, Special industries
  • 1910.268, Telecommunications
  • 1910.269, Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution [related topic page]

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment
  • 1915.159, Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS)
  • 1915.160, Positioning device systems
  • Appendix B, General testing conditions and additional guidelines for personal fall protection systems (Non-mandatory)

Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)

• 1918 Subpart H, Handling cargo
  • 1918.85, Containerized cargo operations. Includes requirements for fall protection.

• Walking and Working Surfaces; Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems). Proposed Rules 68:23527-23568, (2003, May 2). OSHA is reopening the rulemaking record on the proposed revisions to Walking and Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems) to gather data and information concerning advances in technology and industry practice and updated consensus standards issued since the proposals were published.
• Safety Standards in Shipyard Employment for Scaffolds; Welding, Cutting, and Heating; Access and Egress; and Fall Protection. Proposed Rules 67:13117, (2002, March 21). OSHA is withdrawing its proposed rules for scaffolds in shipyard employment (1915 Subpart N), welding, cutting and heating in shipyard employment, (1915 Subpart D), access and egress in shipyards (1915 Subpart E), and fall protection for shipyard employment (1915 Subpart M).
• Search all available Federal Registers.

• The OSHA Regulatory Agenda contains an entry related to walking/working surfaces and personal fall protection systems.

• Fall Protection (1994)
• Search all available preambles to final rules.
  

Maritime Industry

• Shipyard Employment "Tool Bag" Directive. CPL 02-00-142, (2006, August 3). Provides guidance to OSHA for implementing intervention and inspection programs to reduce or eliminate workplace hazards in shipyard employment.
• Longshoring and Marine Terminal "Tool Shed" Directive. CPL 02-00-139, (2006, May 23). Provides consistent information and ensures consistent enforcement of OSHA's marine cargo handling industry standards.
• Focused Inspection Program for Intermodal Container Top Fall Protection. CPL 02-01-027 [CPL 2-1.27], (1998, May 12). Provides guidance for enforcing 29 CFR 1918.85.

• Search all available directives.
  

• Fall protection for the entertainment industry under the OSH Act of 1970. (Corrected 2005, June 2). Concludes that a full body harness would be an appropriate fall protection device for working at 75' to 150'.
• Recommendations for preventing prolonged suspension in personal fall protection systems. (2004, September 8). Recommends that employers develop a plan that includes implementing procedures to prevent prolonged suspension, identifying signs and symptoms of orthostatic suspension, and performing rescue and treatment as quickly as possible.
• Rescue of a suspended worker following a fall event. (2004, April 27). Determines that when performing self-rescue after an arrested fall, the employee may rely on the self-rescue device for the period of time it takes to effect the self-rescue and not be required to use additional fall protection.
• Permissibility of attaching welding leads to an occupied lift bucket and using an external lifeline to anchor fall arrest equipment. (2004, February 23). Determines that limited situations may exist where an adjacent structure poses no reasonably foreseeable risk of failure. However, boom and basket load limits specified by the manufacturer shall not be exceeded.
• Fall protection requirements for work docks/bridges used during bridge construction. (2004, February 9). Concludes that the use of work docks or work bridges built to help construct the bridge or to load/unload construction materials and equipment onto barges must therefore meet 1926 Subpart L.
• Fall protection requirements during installation and removal of tarps and sheeting on/from scaffolds; qualifications of person determining safety on scaffold with wind imposed forces. (2003, July 16). Determines that the installation and removal of tarps or other sheeting material is not considered erection or dismantling of a scaffold. The addition of a tarp or other sheeting material would add lateral loads to the scaffold, and would be "an occurrence which could affect a scaffold's structural integrity," requiring a competent person to inspect it and make an assessment of the anticipated wind forces imposed.
• Clarification of Powered Industrial Truck requirements covering: fall protection and safety platforms, seat belts, LP-gas storage, smoking, and eye wash stations. (2002, March 8). Determines that personal fall protection equipment would not be required when a guardrail system is installed along the open sides of the safety platform on a powered industrial truck. Safety platforms attached to the forks of a forklift are not considered aerial lifts.
• Maintenance vs. construction; working from fixed ladders. (1999, May 11). Discusses the differences between "maintenance" and "construction" and the applicable standards.
• Search all available standard interpretations.

• OSHA's requirements for locking type snaphooks on pole strap systems. (1996, March 13). Provides an interpretation of fall protection requirements under 29 CFR 1910.269.

• OSHA and Lamar Bridgeport Alliance Working to Improve Safety and Health of the Outdoor Advertising Industry’s Employees. OSHA Region 1 Success Stories, (2004 November 30). Describes how fall protection has helped to save contractors from harm in billboard-related incidents. Through the Region I, and Lamar Alliance, billboard owners are training their contractors on fall protection and fall retrieval.

Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.

• A1264.1-2007, Safety Requirements for Workplace Walking/Working Surfaces and Their Access; Workplace Floor, Wall and Roof Openings; Stairs and Guardrail Systems. Sets forth safety requirements for areas where danger exists of persons or objects falling through floor or wall openings, platforms, runways, ramps, and fixed stairs, in normal, temporary, and emergency conditions. This standard applies to industrial and workplace situations and is not intended to apply to construction, residential, or commercial occupancies except where necessary maintenance or work station access may be required.
• A10.32-2004, Fall Protection Systems for Construction and Demolitions Operations. Establishes performance criteria for personal fall protection equipment and systems in construction and demolition and provides guidelines, recommendations for their use and inspection.
• ANSI/IWCA 1-14.1-2001, Window Cleaning Safety. International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA). Serves as a guide for window cleaners, regulatory agencies, manufacturers, architects, consultants, designers and building owners. Part A focuses on safety guidelines for the use of window cleaning access equipment. Part B is geared toward those who manufacture, distribute, design, install or maintain the equipment.
• Z359.1-1992 (R1999), Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems and Component. Establishes requirements for the performance, design, marking, qualification, instruction, training, inspection, use, maintenance, and removal from service of connectors, full body harnesses, lanyards, energy absorbers, anchorage connectors, fall arresters, vertical lifelines, and self-retracting lanyards comprising personal fall arrest systems for users within the capacity range of 130 to 310 pounds (59 to 140 kg).