Construction

In 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that 751 construction workers died on the job, with 35 percent of those fatalities resulting from falls. [More...]

Fall protection is addressed in specific standards for the construction industry.

Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, Federal Registers (rules, proposed rules, and notices) 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

Note: Twenty-five 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.

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926.104, Safety belts, lifelines, and lanyards
  
  
• 1926.105, Safety nets
  
  
• 1926.451, General requirements [related topic page]
  
  
• 1926.452, Additional requirements applicable to specific types of scaffolds
  
  
• 1926.454, Training requirements
  
  
• Subpart L Appendix B, Criteria for determining the feasibility of providing safe access and fall protection for scaffold erectors and dismantlers
  
  
• Subpart L Appendix D, List of training topics for scaffold erectors and dismantlers
  
  
• 1926.500, Scope, application, and definitions applicable to this subpart
  
  
• 1926.501, Duty to have fall protection
  
  
• 1926.502, Fall protection systems criteria and practices
  
  
• 1926.503, Training requirements
  
  
• Subpart M Appendix A, Determining roof widths - Non-mandatory guidelines for complying with 1926.501(b)(10)
  
  
• Subpart M Appendix B, Guardrail systems - Non-mandatory guidelines for complying with 1926.502(b)
  
  
• Subpart M Appendix C, Personal fall arrest systems - Non-mandatory guidelines for complying with 1926.502(d)
  
  
• Subpart M Appendix D, Positioning device systems - Non-mandatory guidelines for complying with 1926.502(e)
  
  
• Subpart M Appendix E, Sample fall protection plan - Non-mandatory guidelines for complying with 1926.502(k)
  
  
• 1926.651, Specific excavation requirements
  
  
• 1926.753, Hoisting and rigging
  
  
• 1926.760, Fall protection
  
  
• 1926.800, Underground construction
  
  
• 1926.1051, General requirements
  
  
• 1926.1060, Training requirements
  
  

• For additional information on specific state plans or other general standards, see the general industry Standards section.

Federal Registers

• Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment. Notice 69:41221-41225, (2004, July 8). OSHA issued a proposed rule to require employers to pay for personal protective equipment (PPE), (including fall protection) used by their employees. The record was closed on December 13, 1999. OSHA has determined further public comment is needed regarding the types of (PPE) that are typically supplied by the employee, taken from job site to job site, and considered to be "tools of the trade."
  
  
• Safety Standards for Steel Erection. Final Rules 66:5317-5325, (2001, January 18). Contains requirements for hoisting and rigging, structural steel assembly, beam and column connections, joist erection, systems-engineered metal building erection, fall protection, and training.
  
  
• Safety Standards for Fall Protection in the Construction Industry. Proposed Rules 64:38077-38086, (1999, July 14). OSHA addressed ten issues, most of which have been raised by interested parties who believe that alternatives to some of the existing fall protection rule's provisions should be permitted. They generally recommend that OSHA allow work practices rather than personal fall arrest systems and guardrails to protect employees against falls.
  
  
• 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

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

Directives

Communications Industry

• Interim Inspection Procedures During Communication Tower Construction Activities. CPL 02-01-036 [CPL 2-1.36], (2002, March 26). Changes OSHA's inspection policy by removing the restriction on hoisting employees on the hoist line to their work stations if those work stations are lower than 200 feet. Otherwise, the original directive is unchanged.

Construction Industry

• Plain Language Revision of OSHA Instruction STD 3.1, Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction. STD 03-00-001 [STD 3-0.1A], (1999, June 18). Provides a plain language re-write of OSHA instruction STD 3.1, the agency's interim enforcement policy on fall protection for certain residential construction activities. This OSHA Document, has been rescinded effective June 16, 2011.
  
  
• Inspection Procedures for Enforcing Subpart L, Scaffolds Used in Construction - 29 CFR 1926.450-454. CPL 02-01-023 [CPL 2-1.23], (1997, January 7).

Steel Erection Industry

• Inspection policy and procedures for OSHA's steel erection standards for construction. CPL 02-01-034 [CPL 2-1-1.34], (2002, March 22). Describes OSHA's inspection policy and procedures and provides clarification to ensure uniform enforcement by field enforcement personnel of the steel erection standards for construction.
  
  
• Search all available directives.

Standard Interpretations

• Whether OSHA standards prohibit using two power hoists wired together to a single control; whether a minimum of two persons are required to be on board a two-point suspended scaffold. (2006, January 25). Indicates that the employer would be prohibited from using this configuration unless each hoist and the central control were all tested by a qualified laboratory after the motors were wired together. 1926 Subpart L does not specify a minimum number of employees that must be on board for operation of a two-point suspension scaffold.
  
  
• Fall protection requirements for workers on guardrail-equipped platforms. (2005, November 29). Determines that working from an elevated scissor lift (ANSI A92.6 series), a worker need only be protected from falling by a properly designed and maintained guardrail system. However, if the guardrail system is less than adequate, or the worker leaves the safety of the work platform, an additional fall protection device would be required.
  
  
• Use of a warning line instead of conventional fall protection; Part 1926 Subpart M. (2005, January 3). Indicates that distance alone is ineffective to protect workers from unprotected sides or edges. However, we have determined that, in the area further back from the distances specified for the warning lines permitted under the standard, there is a point that is sufficiently far from the edge or hole to warrant the application of a de minimis policy regarding non-conforming guardrails.
  
  
• Residential fall protection: safety monitors; walking top plate of braced walls in installation; warning line; plating exterior walls; height limitation; non-roofer PPE; slide guards. (2004, November 30). Addresses multiple issues in fall protection for roofers.
  
  
• Fall protection requirements for employees working from a slide-out extension of a scissor lift platform. (2004, September 14). Determines that the worker on the slide-out platform must be protected by either a guardrail system or a personal fall arrest system.
  
  
• Requirements for employees working over water <2 feet deep. (2004, August 23). Determines that when continuous fall protection is used (without exception) to prevent employees from falling into the water, the employer has effectively removed the drowning hazard, and life jackets or buoyant work vests are not needed.
  
  
• Use of fall protection by deaf employees performing steel erection activities. (2004, August 3). Indicates that each employee engaged in a steel erection activity who is on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 15 feet (4.6 m) above a lower level shall be protected from fall hazards by guardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems, positioning device systems or fall restraint systems. None of these systems rely on verbal warnings or cues.
  
  
• The construction fall protection standard specifies fall arrest system requirements, but no footwear requirements. (2004, May 28). Determines that there is no additional requirement in the standard regarding any specific types of footwear that must be used.
  


• Evaluation of the Jax Scaffold System. (2004, April 21).
  
  
• Fall protection requirements for pump jack scaffold railings. (2004, March 25). Indicates that according to the independent test results supplied the strength requirements have been met.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Clarification on several issues regarding OSHA's construction industry standards for fall protection. (2003, December 18).
  
  
• Compliance of using warning lines and/or control access zones for fall protection on roofs with a slope greater than 4:12. (2003, September 26).
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Requirements for fall protection when ladder jack scaffolds are used for residential and commercial construction. (2003, July 7). Indicates that workers are prohibited from being on a ladder jack platform over 20 feet high. This limitation applies in both residential and non-residential construction.
  
  
• 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

• Fall Protection in the power distribution industry. (1995, September 1). Provides an interpretation of the OSHA standards addressing fall protection in the power distribution industry, (29 CFR 1910.269 and 29 CFR 1926.502).

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)/American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)

• 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.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

• Z359.1-1992 (R1999), Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems and Components. 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).

Hazards and Possible Solutions

Occupational fatalities caused by falls remain a serious public health problem. The US Department of Labor (DOL) lists falls as one of the leading causes of traumatic occupational death, accounting for eight percent of all occupational fatalities from trauma. Before you can begin a fall protection program, all potential fall hazards must be identified. The following references aid in recognizing and evaluating hazards and possible solutions in the workplace.

• Fall Protection in Residential Construction [1 MB PDF^*, 22 pages]. OSHA Guidance Document, (2011).
  
  
• Preventing Fatal Falls in Construction. OSHA. Provides links to OSHA tools and resources to help prevent construction-related falls.
  
  
• Construction Resource Manual. OSHA, (1998).
• Overview for Subpart M Fall Protection. Discusses fall protection provisions and appropriate control measures.
  
  
• Construction - Pocket Guide. OSHA Publication 3252-05N, (2005). Also available as a 285 KB PDF, 36 pages. Reports that nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation on any given day. The fatal injury rate for the construction industry is higher than the national average in this category for all industries.
  
  
• Stairways and Ladders: A Guide to OSHA Rules. OSHA Publication 3124-12R, (2003). Also available as a 278 KB PDF, 15 pages. Includes fall protection topics for stairways and ladders.
  
  
• Fall Protection: Safe practices for setting and bracing wood trusses and rafters [702 KB PDF, 19 pages]. Oregon OSHA, (2005). A Spanish version [2 MB PDF, 19 pages] is also available.
• Fall Protection in the Construction Industry [662 KB PDF, 82 pages]. (2003, October). Explains general concepts and best practices.
• Fall Protection Publications. Includes fall protection publications for the construction industry, for setting and bracing wood trusses and rafters, for setting floor joists, sheathing/decking, and constructing exterior walls, options for specialty contractors, temporary elevated work platforms, and walking working surfaces.
  
  
• Drilled Shaft Installation Safety [62 KB PDF^*, 2 pages]. OSHA and the International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC) Alliance. Identifies potential fall hazards at the surface of the shaft, the use of personal protective equipment and guardrail systems as methods of fall protection, as well as recommended procedures for safe drilled shaft installation.
  
  
• Compatibility of Personal Fall Protection System Components. OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB), (2003, September 22). Also available as a 60 KB PDF, 4 pages.
  
  
• Fall Protection-It's a Snap! OSHA, (2003, February 3). Provides an "Employer Information Kit" developed for use by construction employers or trainers to voluntarily comply with OSHA's fall protection standards.
  
  
• Preventing Injuries and Deaths from Falls During Construction and Maintenance of Telecommunication Towers. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-156, (2001, July). Discusses how workers who are involved in construction and maintenance of telecommunications towers are at high risk of fatal falls.
  
  
• NIOSH Issues Nationwide Alert on Dangers of Working from Scaffolds. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 93-120, (1993, January 4). Discusses the dangers of working from scaffolds.
  
  
• Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths Caused by Falls from Suspension Scaffolds. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 92-108, (1992, August). Describes five incidents resulting in six deaths caused by falls from suspension scaffolds.
  
  
• Preventing Worker Deaths and Injuries from Falls Through Skylights and Roof Openings. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 90-100, (1989, December). Describes eight deaths resulting from falls that occurred during work around these openings.
  
  

Additional Information

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

• Construction Industry
  
  
• Electrical Contractors Industry
  
  
• Sealant, Waterproofing, and Restoration Industry
  
  

Training

• Construction Industry Safety and Health Outreach Program. OSHA, (1996, May).
  • Fall Protection. Describes why and how to provide proper fall protection for construction workers.

Other Resources

• Independent Electrical Contractors, Inc. (IEC). OSHA Alliance Page.
  
  
• Construction. OSHA's Alliance Program. This is one of OSHA's Strategic Management Plan Focus Areas.
  
  
• Hazards of Misusing Wire Form Anchorage Connectors for Fall Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB), (2004, September 1). Also available as a 24 KB PDF, 3 pages.
  
  
• Construction. OSHA eTool. A Spanish version is also available. Contains information that helps workers identify and control the hazards that cause the most serious construction-related injuries.
• Falls. Provides possible solutions to unprotected openings, improper scaffold construction, unguarded rebars, and misuse of portable ladders.
  
  
• Scaffolding. OSHA eTool. Provides illustrated safety checklists for specific types of scaffolds. Hazards are identified, as well as the controls that keep these hazards from becoming tragedies. An estimated 2.3 million construction workers, or 65 percent of the construction industry, work on scaffolds frequently.
  
  
• Fall Protection in Supported Scaffolds. OSHA eTool. Describes requirements for personal fall-arrest and guard rail systems.
  
  
• Steel Erection. OSHA eTool. Contains information that helps workers identify and control the hazards that cause the most serious steel erection-related injuries.
• Fall Protection. Describes general fall protection requirements, and special requirements for steel erection.
  
  

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