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Fall Protection |
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Standards |
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Fall protection is addressed in specific standards for the
general industry, shipyard employment, and longshoring industry. This page highlights OSHA standards, Federal Registers (rules,
proposed rules, and notices), the Regulatory Agenda (a list of actions being
taken with regard to OSHA standards), preambles to final rules (background to
final rules), directives (instructions for compliance officers), standard
interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards), example
cases, and national consensus standards related to fall protection.
OSHA
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. |
Highlighted Standards
General Industry (29
CFR 1910)
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1910 Subpart D, Walking-working surfaces [related topic page]
- 1910.23,
Guarding floor and wall openings and holes
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1910 Subpart F, Powered platforms,
manlifts, and vehicle-mounted work
platforms
- 1910.66,
Powered platforms for building maintenance
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Appendix A,
Guidelines (Advisory)
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Appendix C, Personal
fall arrest
system (Section I - Mandatory; sections II and III - Non-mandatory)
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1910.67, Vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms [Aerial
lifts]
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1910 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment [related topic page]
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1910 Subpart
R, Special industries
Shipyard Employment (29
CFR 1915)
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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)
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1918 Subpart H, Handling cargo
- 1918.85,
Containerized cargo operations. Includes requirements for fall protection.
Federal Registers
- 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.
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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).
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Search all available Federal Registers.
Regulatory Agenda
- The
OSHA
Regulatory Agenda
contains an entry related to walking/working surfaces and personal fall protection
systems.
Preambles to Final Rules
Directives
Maritime Industry
Standard Interpretations
- 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Electric Power Industry
Example Cases
National Consensus
Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do
provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker
protection.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
- 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).
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